The Second Bet: Fusions
by Flashfyre5
Summary: The entries are in and now it's time to vote! Pick your 3 favorites and tell me who should win!
1. update for 4/4/02

Update for 4/4/02:  
  
Today marks a sad day in this competition. Someone in the crossovers section, I believe, has been duping votes. This was pointed out to me by a sharp-eyed fan, and I appreciate it. Hopefully, that isn't a problem over here, but I will be re-reading ALL votes tonight to double check. If you have duped votes, come forward and I will still allow you your three votes, providing you tell me what and how you duped. Here are the standings:  
1.)Sorceror at 40 (wow!) votes.  
2.)Iron Tears with 25 votes.  
3.)Ayeka Muyo! with 15 votes.  
  
Update for 3/31/02:  
  
Hey, all! To all you christians out there, happy Easter. To everyone else, just remember that Aetheism is a non-prophet organization. Heres the voting thus far! In an rediculously one-sided running, Sorceror leads with a whopping 29 votes, followed by Iron tears with 21 and Ayeka Muyo! with 13. This has really become a race for third place, with a number of fics only a few votes away from Ayeka Muyo!  
  
Update for 3/25/02:  
  
I missed the last few updates, guys- sorry. Life called, and I had to answer. Anyway, the voting stands thus- Sorceror at 16 votes, Ayeka Muyo! at 11, and Iron Tears at 9. C'mon, guys and gals, let's see some more voting!  
  
Update, 3/18-  
Hey, all! At the end of the first day's voting, the standings are as such:  
Amazingly, we have a three way tie! It's Sorceror, Iron Tears, and Ayeka Muyo! taking up the top three spots with 4 votes each!  
It's still early in the game, so don't worry too much yet, guys. There's still plenty of time to vote and read!  
  
  
Hey, everybody! This is Flashfyre5, the director of The Second Bet. As of March 15, entries were finalized, and the voting period officially started! Here, you will find a number of crossovers, all of which have been entered in The Second Bet. For the next month, approximately, I will accept votes from all of you, and I will then announce the winners. This requires that you, the readers, tell me what you think. Thus, once you've read all the fanfics in this section, would you please either post a review OR send an e-mail to Flashfyre5@aol.com. In this review/e-mail, please tell me, in order, your favorite three fanfics. Base your decisions on these criteria:  
  
-Originality  
-Creativity  
-Execution (how well they pulled it off)  
-Appeal (How much you liked it)  
  
You don't have to spend a page and a half explaining yourself. An acceptable entry would look something like this:  
  
Header: 2nd bet crossover vote  
  
Body: 1.) the accidental bet  
2.) lone dragon  
3.) roshis story  
  
  
Thanks for your time, and enjoy the fanfiction!  
~Flash 


	2. Aberrant Martial Artists

Subj:**A 2nd Bet Fic, barely in time: ABM**  
Date:3/14/2002 1:20:59 AM Central Standard Time  
From:Wakoid2  
To:FlashFyre5  
  
Disclaimer: Typical stuff here. Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko   
Takahashi. Aberrant is owned by White Wolf Publishing.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^  
ABM (Aberrant Martial Arts) [Name sucks, but it was the best I came up with]  
A 2nd Bet Fic  
By Nathan Huss  
^^^^^^^^^^  
  
The Second Bet was beginning to wind down. Most of the entities had made   
their entries, and were now just hanging around until the winner was   
announced. A few watched their timelines with interest, or others' out   
of curiosity.  
  
Great Fox and Toltiir were lounging at the side of Mimir's Well, watching   
the proceedings.  
  
"Looks like the flow of new contestants is drying up," Toltiir commented.  
  
"Pretty much," Fox said. "Still, there are a good amount altogether.   
All in all, it looks promising."  
  
"Yeah. Hopefully we'll get a few more, though."  
  
At that moment, an orange rimmed portal opened up several feet in the air,   
and a figure fell out of it to crash to the ground. The portal closed up   
immediately afterward.  
  
Fox looked at the new arrival, then at Toltiir. "Was that you, or   
coincidence?"  
  
The cat-shaped god blinked. "Not telling."  
  
"Damnit, Koschei just _had_ to try to disarm that bomb," the figure   
muttered, standing up. He was a young Asian man, wearing a set of   
casual clothing. He was about 5'6", slightly thin, and had spiky orange   
hair.  
  
"Just because the explosion wouldn't give him more than a singe doesn't   
mean it's a good idea. I wonder if Fender got out of there before it blew,"   
the man said. He then looked at his surroundings. Slowly, his eyes widened.  
  
"Okay... Where am I?" he mumbled.  
  
"Mimir's Well," Toltiir said.  
  
The man looked down, saw the cat and large fox, and jumped back a few   
meters.  
  
"Skittish, isn't he?" Toltiir asked Fox. "You recognize him?"  
  
Great Fox shook his head. "Nope. He seems to be a mortal. Very powerful   
for one, however. I wonder how he got here."  
  
The man gaped. "Note to self, don't do random warps again: It seems to   
cause hallucinations."  
  
"This isn't any hallucination. Where are you from, kid?" asked Fox.  
  
"Seattle, and don't call me 'kid.' The name is Flux."  
  
"Well, Flux," Toltiir began. "As my companion has indicated this is all   
real. Neat, isn't it?"  
  
Flux looked around at the assembled entities. "Well, it isn't as bad as   
the giant Bill Gates mecha."  
  
Fox and Toltiir blinked. "Giant... Bill Gates... mecha?"  
  
"Ridiculous concept, isn't it? It was fun watching it explode, though.   
That was about... oh, a month or so ago."  
  
"Riiiiight."  
  
"Hey, it's true!"  
  
They just shook their heads. "Anyways, since you're here now, would you care   
to join in?" Toltiir asked.  
  
"Join in what?" This was followed by a brief explanation of the Bets.  
  
"Wow," Flux said, looking over the edge of the pool. "I'm surprised that   
Ranma guy isn't a Nova. All I have to do is toss in something?"  
  
"Well, there's more to it than just that, but it's what you physically have   
to do."  
  
"Hmm..." Flux looked into the waters again. Picking a quarter out of his   
jacket pocket, he began flipping it into the air rapidly and catching it.   
"Well, a lot of the people there seem to be similar to Novas already. I   
guess I'll fuse it with a world like mine."  
  
He tossed the coin at the pool underhanded, and caused it to skip across   
the water before plinking off the other side and ricochet into the middle   
of the pool.  
  
"A bit showy, that," Great Fox commented.  
  
Flux shrugged slightly. "So, how does this end up working?" He looked into   
the waters...  
  
^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Place: Nerima, Japan...  
  
"For the last time, pop, I'm going back to China!" a red-haired girl shouted   
at a panda.  
  
"Growf!" The panda took a swipe at her with its claws, which she easily   
grabbed and tossed it into the side of a nearby building.  
  
"I don't care what plans you have, but I'm going back to see if I can get   
a cure!" She turned around and walked away, only to be hit in the back of   
the head by a sign the panda had ripped out of the ground. Surprisingly, to   
those few watching, this barely phased the girl.  
  
"Bad move, pop."  
  
The panda sweatdropped, then made a run for it.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Tendo Dojo...  
  
Akane, coming home from her morning jog, immediately changed into her gi,   
and ran into the back yard. Waiting for her there was a stack of steel   
plates, which she immediately cracked in half with one blow.  
  
"Ah! That felt good."  
  
"Do you have any idea how expensive it is to keep buying more of those?"   
Nabiki asked, walking up behind her younger sister. "Especially when you   
won't-"  
  
Akane shook her head. "I won't become a spokeswoman for one of those   
companies."  
  
Nabiki sighed.  
  
"Come back here, pop!" Both girls blinked as they heard the voice, followed   
closely by a large panda jumping over the outer wall of their home. Right   
after it a red-haired girl jumped over as well, landing right in front of   
the panda's path.  
  
The panda panicked, dropped to it's knees, and prostrated itself before the   
girl.  
  
"That stupid 'Crouch of the Wild Tiger' didn't work last time, pop. What   
makes you think it will now?" The girl advanced.  
  
"Hey!" Akane stomped up to the girl. "What do you think you're doing just   
barging into our home?"  
  
The red-head blinked, and then looked around the yard. "Oh, sorry about   
that. I was chasing the old man here and didn't pay attention to where I   
was going."  
  
Nabiki looked at the panda, who was glancing around as if looking for a way   
to escape the girl's wrath.  
  
"That's your dad?" she asked. "Is he a Nova shape shifter or something?"  
  
Akane concentrated slightly before the girl could answer, then shook her   
head. "Nope. I can't feel anything off of him." She paused for a second,   
before turning to the red-haired girl. "You are, though," she said, eyes   
widening.  
  
The girls eyes widened as well. "You as well? Cool. The name's Ranma   
Saotome, nice to meet you." She held out her hand, smiling.  
  
There was a *zoom* coming from inside the house.  
  
"Did you say 'Ranma'?" Soun asked.  
  
"Er... yeah."  
  
"Oh, happy day!" Soun tried to grab Ranma in a hug, but she easily twisted   
out of his way.  
  
"Jeez! What's up with him?" Ranma asked.  
  
Soun caught himself from falling over due to inertia. "Now the two families   
can finally be joined!"  
  
"HUH!?"  
  
^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Notes: Whew! Barely got this in under the wire. Probably not the best I   
could have done, or as long as I would have wanted, but for something written   
within a short period of time under pressure I think it turned out decently.  
  
Flux, Koschei, and Fender are characters in an Aberrant campaign I'm   
currently playing in. And yes, there was indeed a giant Bill Gates mecha.   
Looked like Gates, dressed like Gates, colored like Evangelion. Scary, no?  
  
If, by some freak chance, this actually wins, here are some notes for how   
it would go:  
  
Those Who Are Novas (Power references as from the Aberrant game):  
Ranma - High amounts of Mega-Dexterity, and medium amounts of Mega-Strength   
& Stamina. His personality is pretty much base-timeline, except that since   
Genma can't force him to do things, he isn't as angry about some things.  
  
Akane - High amounts of Mega-Strength, and also she has Matter Creation   
(how else would she get the mallets?). Like Ranma, is pretty much base-  
timeline, except a bit more even-tempered when it comes to boys, since   
she doesn't have to put up with things like the daily attacks at school.   
None of those at school would even THINK of trying to attack her.  
  
Ryoga - High amounts of Mega-Stamina, as well as Mega-Strength. Maybe   
mild Matter Creation for the bandannas, as well as Claws with the Kinetic   
Discharge enhancement to give them the extra 'oomph.' His directional   
sense (or lack thereof) is definitely an aberration for him. Base-  
timeline personality, with the exception for things being a Nova would   
change.  
  
Kasumi - Just Mega-Charisma, with the Soothe enhancement. Same deal as   
Ryoga as far as personality.  
  
Mousse - Possibly Mega-Perception with the Blindfighting enhancement.   
Other than that Probably just some Mega-Stamina to help him soak up the   
abuse heaped on him from multiple persons, and a high rating in Matter   
Creation for all his weapons. Personality-wise he would be the same as   
normal, with the exceptions of being a Nova.  
  
And Those Who Are Not:  
  
Genma - Same Genma as always, except that since his son is a Nova, he'll   
be trying to profit off of this added fact, probably by signing him up   
with multiple companies.  
  
Soun - Pretty much the same as well, except that the reason he stopped   
teaching Akane is that it just became too dangerous to do so. He might   
have a few students for the dojo, then.  
  
Kuno - Probably the only person who does the daily attacks on Akane, which   
she seriously pulls her punches on. When confronting Ranma, instead of   
'foul sorcerer,' he now says 'foul aberrant.'  
  
Shampoo - Is a bit more forceful in her chasing of Ranma (once she finds out   
he's a he) for two reasons. One: he's a Nova. Two: Akane is also a Nova,   
which despite their fighting with each other, gives them a type of bond   
Shampoo can't have with him.  
  
Cologne - Is still trying to put Ranma and Shampoo together, though this is   
actually at normal levels. While a Nova like Ranma would be a definite bonus   
to the tribe, since (officially) Novas are sterile, she doesn't have quite as   
much of an impetus.  
  
Ukyo - Same as base-timeline, though with the same extra fervor that Shampoo   
has, although only for the second reason given for the Amazon.  
  
Could Be One, Could Be The Other:  
  
Nabiki - If she is a Nova, she would have Mega-Manipulation with Persuader,   
and maybe Mega-Intelligence. She would also have Dormancy, giving her a way   
to let others underestimate her. Whether or not she is a Nova, she will be   
trying to convince Ranma and Akane to become corporate spokespeople, with her   
as their manager.  
  
Kodachi - If a Nova, she would have some Mega-Dexterity, with the Physical   
Prodigy enhancement. Also, she would have an energy tendril 'ribbon,' and   
most likely the Poison power.  
  
Plot wise, there would be most of the usual stuff found in Ranma. Added,   
however, would be things like various corporations, the government, and   
other agencies and factions trying to get a handhold into the most   
concentrated area of non-aligned Novas in Japan.  
  



	3. Ayeka Muyo!

Subj:**A Second Bet Entry : Ayeka Muyo!**  
Date:6/28/01 7:24:47 PM Central Daylight Time  
From:PansutoTarou5925  
To:FlashFyre5  
  
My opening salvo in this thing....  
  
AYEKA MUYO! ~~~A PansutoTarou5925 Fanfiction  
  
Disclaimer: Neither Ranma !/2 nor Tenchi Muyo! are mine. They are the respective properties of Rumiko Takahashi, Kitty, Viz, et al., and Pioneer Ltd. Kinda contraproductive to sue the people who buy all your stuff anyhow.  
  
WARNING - This is a fusion. It's also got some characters switched around and otherwise oddified. If you have a problem with this, tough.  
  
SECOND BET WARNING - Yes, this is a 2nd Bet entry. For whatever that's worth, anyhow.  
  
** * * * * * * * * * * * **  
  
The old man shuffled uneasily along the canyonlike aisles. Heaven's library was the largest in existence; an enormous structure of labrythine passages and a deep silence that suggested, in some distant corner of the mind, that time had no meaning here. The old man knew that that corner was correct. It wouldn't do for someone to become late because they were lost in a book. He had made sure of it. He was the librarian, after all; it was his job to think of things like that. He sighed as he came to what he was looking for: a few of those manga left on the reading table. He picked them up and was about to put them on the shelf when a most unpleasant event occurred.  
  
"Boo!" came the ever annoying voice of Toltiir, startling the old man. The manga fell to the floor and the pages came loose, mixing into a messy pile.  
  
"Silence in the library!" he whispered harshly. He then took a good look at his visitor. "Aren't you usually in the joke section?" He then realized he had dropped the manga. "Oh bother."  
  
Toltiir looked at the mess. "Isn't that kind of sloppy binding?"  
  
"Those were the originals, kept in folders, you mangy furball. Look at the mess you've caused." He picked up the thoroughly mixed manga and sighed. "This is going to take forever to sort out."  
  
"So who wants to sort it out?" The librarian gave him a look promising intense pain. "I'm running a little contest on fusions and crossovers right now."  
  
"Oh, like that Bet thing you had last year?" the librarian asked detachedly, having already moved to pick up the next few manga scattered on the table and put them back. He'd fix the mess later. After Toltiir left.  
  
"Yeah, and the winner gets the timeline of their choice continued."  
  
The librarian paused. "I'm going for a timeline where you can't enter the library."  
  
Toltiir laughed loudly. "Hah hah, you kidder." he chortled.  
  
"I'm serious. Take my entry and get the he- the heck out of here."  
  
** * * * * * * * * * * * **  
  
At a desk in a house just outside of Okayama was a young girl with strikingly long, purple hair, looking through a piece of paper she had her pen paused above. We can excuse her for seeming shell shocked. She had had quite a day. The worst of it was - and she quite suspected this - was that the insanity had just begun.  
  
'June 16th, 2000. Dear Diary: Today was probably the strangest day I've had in a long time. You know how the family legend says a great warrior named Yosho battled a mighty demon and imprisoned it in the cave by the hill? Well, a few weeks ago Grandfather said I might go in the cave if I took the key from him. While I think he meant in a kendo match, I was too frustrated to care and took them when he was in town today. You know, the gates to the cave look far more forbidding when you wonder what is on the other side...'  
  
** * * * * * * * * * * * **  
  
Ayeka Masaki was not a cowardly person. And yet, faced with the cave of the legendary demon, her legs seemed to fail her. They weren't much to look at - a few half rusted bars sealing a small opening in the rocks on the hilltop. It had no iron-shod door, no sign that said "All hope abandon, ye who enter here". It didn't need these things. There was an ancient terror soaked into every rock. She had never felt frightened by its presence before, but then again, she had never been about to enter, either.  
  
"What am I so worried about? The demon's got to be dead." she said, steeling herself. Resolutely she walked up to the gates and unlocked the rusty gate, pulling it open with a loud creak. She looked into the gloom, and turned on her small flashlight. She walked into the cave.  
  
"Why, this is wonderful. I risk all sorts of punishment when Grandfather gets back to look at an empty cave." she said, sniffing. "Hmmph! Oh? What's this...?" For the cave had opened up, and a little natural light shone down. There was a small box, like a birdhouse, with a wooden sword hilt in it, and a rock with an inscription. "This must be where the demon is buried."  
  
Ayeka walked over to the stone and tried to read it. It wasn't in Japanese; nor was it in English. In fact, she couldn't even identify what alphabet it was written in; it might as well be so many scribbles. Deciding that the stone was a dead end, she turned to the little birdhouse-like box with the sword hilt in it. It was an intricately carved little piece, three intertwined pieces of wood terminating in a bulb on one end and a few spiky things at the other end. On the bulb were three small, nondescript gems. Possessed by a sudden impulse to take the sword - and by wanting at least one souvenier from this little trip - Ayeka grabbed hold of the sword and lifted it out. "What an odd little thing this is." she said, turning it around. "I do wonder how it got here. Is this Yosho's sword, perhaps? Or its hilt, at any rate." She idly tapped the wooden hilt against the palm of her hand as she thought. Suddenly she was startled by a loud CRACK.  
  
The wall of the cave behind the strangely inscribed stone had cracked open. Frozen with fear, irrationally fearing that Grandfather would blame her for what was obviously the work of an earthquake - an EARTHQUAKE? Ayeak screamed bloody murder, and for good reason. A cave is no place to be in a quake. The stone cracked completely and the ground under her suddenly gave way.  
  
"AAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" she screamed, hurtling out of control down the rocky incline, until she was dumped out in a small room uncovered by the rockslide. Swiftly pulling down her skirt into a more modest position, Ayeka took stock of where she was. "This is certainly wonderful." she sniffed, and took a look at her ruined skirt. "Arrgh! And my favorite skirt, no less!" She walked over to the small pool of water that was in the center of the room. "Perhaps I can get some of this out." She strided over to the water and bent over, picking up a double handful of water before noticing something.  
  
"There's.. a DEAD PERSON.. in the WATER!" she said, voice rising to a shriek. "AND I STUCK MY HANDS IN IT!" She flung the water violently to the side and stared at her hands in horror. "How.. how disgusting!" Then something pulled down her hand, and she was face to face with the shriveled corpse itself. "AAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!" she screamed again, pistol-whipping the apparation with the sword hilt. Its shriveled head snapped back from the force of the blow, and, with a burst of adrenaline, she sprinted up the rockfall, out the cave and didn't stop until she reached her room.  
  
Where, having been stressed beyond the wildest dreams of a cardiologist, she immediately fainted.  
  
** * * * * * * * * * * * **  
  
'..and that's all that happened today. Well, except the fact that we were treated to my father's disgusting cuisine for dinner, but that goes without saying. Anyhow, I've woken an ancient demon and all I got for the trouble was this lousy sword hilt. Hopefully it will be content to stay in its cave. I doubt it though, it probably bears a strong grudge against Yosho and his descendents. I shouldn't be suprised if I turn out to have secret family powers handed down from Yosho that I must learn or something. That sounds like something out of one of my manga, actually.' Several of the manga in question lay forgotten on the floor, a few trampled into pieces in her mad dash to the safety of her bed.   
  
Still shell-shocked from the events of the day, a weary Ayeka Masaki slipped into bed, to prepare for another wonderful, exciting day of school. Or that was the plan, anyhow. Memories of a gnarled... thing... reaching out and grabbing her hand haunted her dreams, and she spent a long, sleepless night clutching at the sword hilt under her pillow.  
  
** * * * * * * * * * * * **  
  
The next day Ayeka was in school. Or more precisely, asleep in school. As Ayeka was one of her better students, the teacher let her sleep in class this once. The bombed-out look she had suggested she really wouldn't be able to pay attention in class today anyhow. And she kept a death grip on that stick all day, too. When that class finished she warned the next teacher, and so on. Eventually, the final bell rang and all the students filed out, leaving one dead-to-the-world student in her seat.  
  
That explains why, when Ayeka was finally ready to face the school day, it was already over. Blinking in suprise, she looked around for her classmates. Then she noticed the clock. "Wonderful. I've slept through class. This is all that demon-creature's fault." She walked up to the roof, intending to get a little fresh air and enjoy the scenery. That way at least the whole day wouldn't be a wash.  
  
The view from the roof was a good one, which was why Ayeka liked to eat her lunch there. She popped out her bento and began to enjoy a late lunch, watching the clouds' shadows slip over the mountains. Just as she was about to put her pickled plum in her mouth, she felt something tap her on the shoulder. "Nice view, huh?" a voice said from over her shoulder. Startled, Ayeka turned around. Standing right behind her was a girl with oddly spiked red hair , some of which was pulled back in a rough pigtail. She was dressed in an odd orange and green silk shirt over black pants, and had a rather disturbing - or disturbed - little grin on her face.  
  
"Who.. who are you!" she stammered.  
  
"What, you don't recognize me? We just saw each other yesterday!" Seeing her look of shocked recognition, the smile grew a little deeper, a little wider. "I'm Ryoma. And you - you're of Yosho's blood. Nice to meetcha." With a wave of her hand the demon-woman summoned a beam of energy, turning it into a sword. With a primal yell, she leapt at Ayeka, slashing down at her head.  
  
** * * * * * * * * * * * **  
  
Weird, no? I like TenchiMuyo! and Ranma both, and decided to do something decidely unusual for a fusion. That is, fuse the characters - but not the characters you'd expect fused. Ranma and Ryoko are fused, if you couldn't figure it out, and Ayeka, though she isn't fused, is more Tenchi-like than in original-recipe Tenchi-Muyo!. How do you like? This is a Second Bet thing, so it's more how much people respond that determines how much (or even if at all) I continue this.  
  
Also, this part, this prologue, went by pretty fast: but I wanted to skip the beginning parts everyone knows and get to the good stuff quick. Namely, the fight and stuff. You know how it goes. Anyhow, y'all know my email addy. It's PansutoTarou5925@aol.com, at least until the Wizards Of Spam find and clog it. 


	4. Convoy to Nerima

The FFML Refugee List  
  
--------------------------- ListBot Sponsor --------------------------  
Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
[2ndBet][Ranma/Pokemon/? Fusion w/ WWIII] Convoy to Nermia. Prolog:  
  
Murphy smiled. "Another bet. Ohh. The others will Really like this. "   
And so, the got  
of things that go wrong vanished.  
  
Later…  
A group of three figures approach the group. The first was the   
aforementioned God of  
things that go wrong. Murphy. On his right, an angle in training (working   
for the RRO),  
crystal stood. Her crystal blue hair and blue eyes a striking contrast to   
Murphy's Brown  
eyes and brown hair.  
The girl on Murphy's Right was the most striking. He Flame Red hair and her   
red eyes  
were nothing compared to the wings of flame on her back. The goddess of   
superior  
firepower, Phanica stood.  
"I WANT TO BLOW SOMETHING UP!!!" Phanica wined to the other two.  
"Phanica, for the last time. NO! We are here to participate in the bet. If   
we can get…  
never mind. Were here. Why don't you two go start a timeline? I'm going to   
go get...  
something done..." Murphy turns away and walks away, leaving the two girls   
alone.  
  
Crystal smiles. And walks up to the well. "Let's see. Hmm. Phanica, how   
about we each  
add something to this Basic Ranma timeline, starting from before the cursed   
springs  
incident?" Crystal says. Ignoring the furry ones (the Great fox and   
Toltair) she pulls out  
an unused poke'ball. "Let's start with this. I always liked my poke'mon, so   
I'll add them  
to this dimension. 'Kay? Now, you add something Phanica!"  
  
Phanica grins, and reaches behind her back. And pulls out a gun. On top of   
it is a  
Grenade. A Grenade with the three glowing triangles at its tip. "BURN BABY   
BURN!!"  
she yells, as she fires it into the well.  
  
The furry ones and crystal go white. As the well's water swells, and   
explodes upward,  
drenching everyone in the nearby vicinity. Crystal winces, and then absorbs   
the water  
into her. "WARN ME Next time." She says. Looking down at the well. "At   
least you  
can say it is different now…  
  
------------  
  
Diary of Nibiki Tendo.  
July 12, 1997  
  
OH SHIT!  
The world is gone. Simple as that. Someone snapped and launched Nukes   
at each  
other. Not many. The reports I got off my wrist top PC when it was   
working show less  
then a hundred were launched. But most netties have gone underground…   
only us with  
the portables remain. #$%$#!! At least I don't have to worry about   
anti-Techies hunting  
me down. At least not yet.  
  
Guess this Poke'mon field trip to china is a bigger blessing then I though.   
Got new  
poke'mon, including something that will. Correction, would have made me big   
bucks.  
And I still have three day. Of.  
  
Guess I had better go look for my sisters and the class. Better tell them   
the bad news.  
  
Nibiki Tendo, signing off! 


	5. Freaking Out

Freaking Out  
A Ranma 0.5/Freakazoid fusion  
by Black Dragon  
  
Standard disclaimer applies... Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Freakazoid to Warner Bros and Steven Spielberg.  
  
Starring Ranma Saotome as: Freakazoid!  
Dr. Tofu as: Freakazoid's pal!  
Kyusaku (from All-Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku) as: The funny-looking computer nerd!  
Ryoga Hibiki as: The high-level evil dude!  
Genma and the Tendos as: The clueless family!  
Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka, and Saiyuri as: The innocent bystanders! (Targets)  
And also starring Jane Canaway as The Hopping Woman!  
  
This takes place just after the beginning of the manga, just before Shampoo shows up. Characters from other series will have little, if anything, in common with those other series.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Ranma absently rubbed the bruise on his cheek as he trudged up the stairs behind Nabiki.  
He honestly hadn't meant to call Akane a tomboy again, but after she had brought up that whole stupid bathroom incident and called him a pervert again, he'd countered with what was soon becoming a conditioned response. How did he ever get engaged to such a violent girl?  
"So what was it you wanted to show me Nabiki?"  
Nabiki looked back down at him and frowned. "Oh, don't sound so bitter. I just bought something with the money I got selling pictures to Kuno, and since you unwittingly helped me with that, I thought I'd let you give it a try."  
Ranma blinked and started following her with greater interest. Nabiki seemed to him like the kind of person that does whatever she wants and gets away with it, so he figured if she was going to let him in on whatever she had, he might as well go along with it.  
  
Opening up the door to her room, Nabiki sat down at a small desk and pushed a button on a big plastic box next to something that resembled a TV.  
Closing the door behind him, Ranma watched Nabiki slide out a bigger plastic panel with a multitude of buttons, along with another small plastic object attached to a cord. "What's that thing?"  
Nabiki was about to make a crack about how stupid you'd have to be not to recognize a simple computer, but then she remembered that he'd been in training for all his life. "It's called a computer. I'm not going to try to explain how it works to you, but I will tell you that it has a program that links it to a bunch of other computers all over the world, and I just bought a new product called the Pinnacle Chip that will make the program run faster." She turned around to see Ranma with a completely blank look.  
He shrugged apologetically. "Uh, you lost me somewhere around the first 'program'."  
Nabiki sweatdropped. "Um, nevermind. Anyway, you just do this to open it..." Ranma watched as she manipulated the small plastic thingy, which caused the pointer to move over a little picture on the screen. She clicked the button on the object twice, which caused a new screen to pop up. Then she typed something on the flat panel, and the whole screen changed again.  
Nabiki whistled. "Now that's fast! You see, you just type in a subject here, then the search engine will locate a bunch of web pages that are related to that subject." Nabiki missed Ranma's sweatdrop and confused look as she suddenly sniffed the air. "Hey what's that...... oh no! I forgot! Akane's trying out a new recipe tonight!!"  
Ranma was about to ask a question when Nabiki suddenly rushed by him and out the door. He turned around, and she poked her head in quickly. "Sorry, but if I don't order take-out now, the food won't get here before Akane's done in the kitchen!"  
Ranma wondered what the big deal is. Could Akane be that bad a cook? "What about this, um, the compu-whatsit?"  
Nabiki rushed out again and yelled back as she descended the stairs. "Try it out if you like! Just don't break anything!"  
  
Ranma blinked, then sat down in front of the computer. Then he spent a long while staring at the big line at the top. Was that English? He only knew a little English, gathered here and there on his training trips. And what was all this jargon? URL? http? www? Getting frustrated and confused, he just sighed and eventually started typing things at random.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Gentlemen, we have a problem." Kyusaku gave a hard stare to every person seated at the gigantic table before him. What he was about to reveal could change the entire future of the corporation, or obliterate that future altogether. Absently he lit a cigarette to calm his nerves.  
His stares had less than the desired effect, mostly because everything above his nose was completely hidden by his shaggy brown hair.  
One of the members of the Board of Directors whispered to another. "Yeah, I think you're right. It is funnier with the Scottish accent."  
"Really. Why'd they have to go and start inserting more anime characters everywhere?"  
Kyusaku emitted a low growl. "This is no time to be breaching the fourth wall! This is serious!"  
Regaining his composure Kyusaku addressed the entire table. "The Pinnacle Chip is... flawed."  
Gasps and whispers soon erupted among the directors. Kyusaku stood statue-like at the end of the table, his head held low.  
Suddenly, a voice from the other end of the table rang out. "And what exactly is the nature of this flaw?"  
Kyusaku looked up suddenly, and then raised an eyebrow (not that anyone could tell, but, well, there you go). "Wait, who are you?"  
The speaker was fairly tall, muscular, and wore a professional business suit along with both an eyepatch and a black and gold bandanna. The thing was that Kyusaku was fairly certain that the man wasn't even 18.  
"Why, I'm the CEO of this corporation of course. You can call me Ryoga."  
Kyusaku addressed one of the nearby directors. "What's going on? What happened to Geuchiarez?"  
One of the other directors spoke up. "That's not how you spell his name."  
Kyusaku rounded on him. "Shut up! We're supposed to be talking here! Now what happened?!"  
The director he had originally been talking to grinned slightly and steepled his fingers under his chin. "Our former CEO has met with a most unfortunate accident, pending his decision to cut the Board of Director's pay in favor of his own salary. After we killed-I mean, after he fell down the stairs, we found Mr. Hibiki here wandering around the lab areas, so we made him the new CEO."  
Kyusaku blinked.  
A different director who had remained silent up until now grunted. "Hmph. Now there's a plot hole if I ever heard one..."  
Ryoga slammed his hands onto the table. "Enough of this! What is the flaw?!"  
Kyusaku cleared his throat. "First, the user would have to be connected to the internet. Then, he would have to enter an exact sequence of keys followed by 'delete'. The user would then be sucked into cyberspace, where'd he'd be transformed into a superbeing, capable of doing anything! But he'd be wild and insane, an uncontrollable force of pure nonsense! He'd be...... a Freakazoid!"  
Ryoga scratched his chin in thought as he slowly approached Kyusaku. "How many people know about this... flaw?"  
"Just me, and the people in this room."  
Ryoga grinned. Then his hand shot out, grabbed Kyusaku, and threw him out the window with all the force of a freight train.  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Kyusaku screamed as the ground rushed up to meet him, and would have met then with certain death, had this fic any basis on reality.  
  
Back in the building, Ryoga turned around, then started laughing maniacally. "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Laugh with me!!"  
As Ryoga continued, the other men sweatdropped. "Um, sir, that line really doesn't suit you..." one of the men pointed out.  
*Smash* Ryoga's fist broke straight through the table. "I said LAUGH WITH ME dammit!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"  
The other men bigsweated nervously, then all laughed weakly.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Ranma sighed as another blank page with a few words of technical gibberish appeared on the screen. He'd been at this for half an hour already, and hadn't ended up at anything other than this one page that didn't have any pictures and a short message talking about invalid URLs or some such nonsense. Nabiki wasn't back yet, and from what he had been hearing from downstairs, was still busy helping to put out a fire or something. Getting utterly sick of all this "internet" business, he tiredly started once again pressing a bunch of random keys.  
Now, the chances of the most obvious occurence, that of him typing in the sequence mentioned above, actually happening are astronomical in proportion. But, being that trying to apply logic to this story would be like tossing bricks into a bonfire, I'm not going to bother to come up with a more feasible pretext.  
Ranma blinked as a new window suddenly popped up on the front of the screen. "Press... any... key to... con-con-continue?" After he finished reading the English print, he looked blankly at the keyboard.  
"Any key? Which one's the any key?" (Please slap yourself if you didn't see that coming)  
Figuring that the message was bad, Ranma decided to press the one button that made everything else disappear.  
  
As his finger compressed the "delete" key, an arc of electricity shot out of the moniter, causing Ranma to jerk backward. Then a swirling vortex appeared and he felt himself being sucked into the computer.  
"Damn! I broke it! Nabiki's gonna kill meeeeeeeeeeee....." His voice faded away as his body disappeared into the moniter, and more electricity crackled behind him.  
  
Ten seconds later, the moniter lit up again, and a figure was quickly blasted out of it. Energy danced along his back as he struggled to get up. Then, he suddenly stood up ramrod straight. "Whoa! I wanna do that again!"  
Ranma was now just over six feet tall, with blue skin and black hair that was swept backward with a white lightning bolt through it. For some inexplicable reason, he was also wearing red pajamas with a big 'F' on the front, and a small black mask that only covered the area just around his eyes.  
Ranma adopted a smile on his face, then zipped over to the mirror. "Wow! I look like I got mauled in a paint store!"  
Ranma's head swiveled around (without the rest of his body) as he heard someone ascending the stairs. With a mad cackle, he dove out the window.  
  
Nabiki entered her room a moment later, and looked around for Ranma.  
"Hmmm. He's gone. Ack! My computer!" Nabiki quickly noticed the electric burns on the chair, and rushed over to see how much damage her new houseguest had caused.  
After seeing that the computer had sustained no damage and was completely functional, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she noticed the sequence of letters in the URL bar.  
"Hmmm. He must have been just typing in random stuff. I guess I shouldn't have left him alone with it like that, he could have broken something." With that, she highlighted the entire line and hit "backspace". The entire sequence disappeared.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Akane muttered curses under her breath as she paced back in forth in the dojo.  
How dare Nabiki make fun of her cooking like that? And after all the work she went through to make sure that the fire didn't claim the entire meal! Why did they make kitchen counters out of wood anyway when they were going to be placed next to a strong heat source?!  
Akane was so focused on her mental griping, she didn't even notice that she wasn't alone in the dojo until someone tapped her on the shoulder.  
She whirled around, and was about to give the intruder a severe reprimand (and not necessarily a verbal one), when she noticed that said intruder had blue skin.  
This was sufficiently odd that she forgot about beating him and settled for staring at him for a moment.  
Ranma just smiled. "Let's wrestle!" Then he tackled her into the ground, before he proceeded to apply a rather painful series of holds on her.  
"OW!! That hurt!! Stop that!! Ouch! Get off of me and fight me like a man, you-ow! Hey, no!! That's a sensitive area!!"  
At this point Ranma decided on a position sitting on Akane's back while holding one leg and occasionally pulling it back painfully. "Say 'uncle'!"  
Akane growled. "I'll never lose to a weirdo like-OW!! OW!! OW!! Okay! Okay! Uncle!!"  
Ranma only grinned again. "Now say, 'I hate Marty Ingel'!"  
Akane was confused for a moment at the request, but some slight pressure on her leg reminded her of the vulnerability of her position. "Fine! I hate Marty Ingel! Now get off!"  
"Now say 'I hate Mark Anthony'!"  
Akane sweatdropped. "What? What's wrong with Mark Anthony?"  
  
At that very moment, Kasumi walked into the dojo. "Akane, we finished putting out the fire and-oh my! Did you trip and hurt yourself?"  
Akane quickly oriented on her sister and begged for help. "Quick! Kasumi! Get him off of me!"  
Kasumi blinked. "Get who off of you?"  
Akane was about to yell a very disrespectful accusation about Kasumi's vision, when she realized that there was no longer any weight on her back. "What the? Where'd he go?"  
"Where did who go?"  
"The blue guy! He was right here on top of me!" Akane turned toward Kasumi and noted her slightly worried expression. "I swear! There was this blue guy in red pajamas, and he attacked me! He was just here a second ago! Honest!"  
Kasumi noted Akane's panicked look and became very worried. "Akane, are you all right? You didn't hit your head when you fell, did you?"  
Akane grabbed her head in frustration and ran from the room, shouting curses all the way.  
Kasumi watched her go, then shook her head sadly. "Poor Akane... I think the stress of the engagement is starting to become a bit too much for her."  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Whooooooooooooooooooooosh!" Ranma happily ran down the street, arms stretched out in front of him, making flying noises along the way. Those pedestrians that saw him quickly adjusted their paths to get out of his way, then watched, almost entranced by the weirdness, as he continued to pretend to fly along the path.  
  
Ranma continued like this for a while, until a sing-song female voice rang out from an area of the fence behind him.  
"You! Blue boy! You come here!"  
"Erk!" Ranma stopped his passage suddenly, then started running backwards. "Shooooooooooooow!" Once he reached the point where the voice had come from, he looked up to see a very attractive Chinese girl with long purple hair pointing at him with a large curved sword.  
Ranma pointed to himself in question.  
Shampoo nodded. "Yes, you! You tell Shampoo where Ranma hide, yes?"  
Ranma looked back and forth, and then gestured for Shampoo to come closer.  
Shampoo cautiously climbed down from the fence and walked up to him.  
Looking around again, Ranma put a hand to Shampoo's ear. "Pssst pssst pssst pssst pssst..."  
Shampoo blinked, then looked at him. "Why you go 'pssst pssst pssst'? What this mean?"  
Ranma put his hand to her ear again. ".................. It's a secret! ..................."  
Shampoo growled cutely and backed away, then leveled the sword at Ranma's throat. "Shampoo no in mood for game! You tell where Ranma hide, or Shampoo kill!"  
Ranma blinked, then lowered the sword slightly with his arm, only to lean on top of the blunt edge. "What's a nice girl like you doing hunting Ranmas anyway? There are so many other hobbies you could be enjoying! Say, are you free this Saturday?"  
Shampoo blinked again, and then sighed, recognizing the same line that she'd heard from every teenage male (not to mention many that were older than that) since she left the village. "No. Shampoo have to find Ranma and kill! No time for date!" With that she turned and left, completely forgetting that he had known about Ranma.  
  
Ranma watched her bounce away, then shrugged and left.  
"Wooooooooooooooooooooooosh!"  
  
A couple that was enjoying a mocha at a nearby Starbucks stopped talking when they noticed him, and thought about leaving when he headed towards them.  
Ranma grabbed one of the cups and pointed to it. "Sorry, can I use this for a sec?"  
The man who had previously owned the coffee stuttered slightly. "Uh, o-okay."  
Ranma smiled. "Thanks!" *Splash* The hot mocha was spilt all over his body, which was suddenly smaller and clothed in a red Chinese shirt and black Chinese pants.  
Ranma gasped as he threw the cup away from him. "What the hell just happened?!"  
The couple, apparently deciding that enough was enough, beat a hasty retreat to a saner district. Ranma didn't notice.  
"Geez, I barely remember a thing! And what I do remember... ugh... this is too weird. I need something to eat." And so, with that final statement, Ranma began the trek home, hopping on rooftops rather than pretend-flying.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
*Ding-dong*  
After a moment of waiting, Kasumi answered the door to see a fairly short man with shaggy brown hair and a cigarette standing on the porch rather nervously.  
"Can I help you?" Kasumi was fairly certain she'd never seen him before. Was she another friend of her father's? Maybe the Saotomes knew him.  
Kyusaku scratched the back of his head nervously. "Hello, sorry to bother you ma'am. Say, is the computer user of the house in, by any chance?"  
Kasumi blinked. "Oh, you must mean Nabiki! Yes, she's home. I'm sorry, but you are?"  
Kyusaku bigsweated. "I'm her... uh... martial arts instructor! Yes, that's it!"  
Kasumi blinked again, then moved so he could come in. "Oh, I didn't know Nabiki had taken up the art again. I wonder why she didn't simply ask father." Seeing as the hostess had began talking to herself, Kyusaku quickly excused himself and went upstairs.  
Nabiki was at that time descending the stairs, and raised an eyebrow when she saw the newcomer.  
  
"Can I help you sir?"  
Kyusaku glanced around to check if their was anyone listening in. Finding no one, he turned back to her. "Nabiki Tendo?"  
She nodded.  
"Have you recently had any kind of... disturbance involving your computer?"  
Nabiki's expression darkened and she started to continue down the stairs. "I certainly hope not. That unit cost me an arm and a leg, and I only left Ranma alone with it for 5 minutes!"  
Kyusaku blinked. "Ranma? So you havn't seen anything unusual concerning your computer?"  
Nabiki crossed her arms over her chest. "What I saw were some kind of burns on my chair, my desk looking like a tornado had destroyed it, and NO RANMA!! If that jerk broke my computer, I'll make his life a living hell!" Nabiki directed a glare outside. "Well speak of the devil."  
Kyusaku looked outside, and saw Ranma jumping over the fence that seperated neighbors' yards.  
"If you don't mind, may I have a few words with him first?"  
Nabiki snorted and walked into the kitchen. "Hmph. Knock yourself out."  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
*Ding-dong*  
"Can I help you?" Kasumi bowed respectfully to the young man with the eyepatch.  
Ryoga chuckled nervously. "Uh, hi. May I please speak to the computer user of the house?"  
"Oh, you must mean Nabiki. My, she's been getting a lot of company lately! And you are?"  
Ryoga gulped. "Who am I? I'm.... er.... her martial arts instructor!"  
Kasumi frowned. "Nabiki's martial arts instructor is in his late 30's."  
Ryoga gulped more deeply. "Er, English tutor?"  
Kasumi's smile was back again, in full force. "Oh, okay! I just saw her go into the kitchen. Just take the first left before the hallway."  
  
Ryoga thanked her, then entered the house and took the first right.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"What? A disturbance?" Ranma thought long and hard about that one.  
"You know... like maybe electricity and a large, swirling vortex that sucks you into the depths of cyberspace..." Kyusaku prompted.  
Ranma blinked. "Huh? You mean it's not supposed to do that?"  
*Crash* Kyusaku wearily picked himself up off the ground and stared at him. "No, it's not supposed to do that."  
Ranma suddenly clutched his head. "Oh crap! I really did break it! Nabiki's going to flay me alive!"  
Kyusaku interrupted his ranting with a hand on his shoulder. "Look here kid, you've been given amazing powers!"  
"Amazing powers that shall soon be mine!"  
Both of them turned at the voice to see Ryoga in front of the house, arms crossed over his chest and a sadistic grin on his face. He had, of course, gotten lost looking for Nabiki and instead accidentally overheard Ranma and Kyusaku's conversation, but he wasn't going to let a little thing like that affect his entrance.  
Ranma waved nonchalantly. "Hey Ryoga. What's with the eyepatch?"  
Kyusaku turned toward him. "You know this mental case?"  
Ryoga snorted. "Of course he knows me. It's because of our rivalry that I need the superhuman powers of your 'flaw'. And as for your other question, I'm wearing an eyepatch because I'm evil!"  
Kyusaku backed away. Ranma blinked. "But you were evil before, and you didn't wear one."  
Ryoga frowned. "No, before I was just bitter. Now I'm EVIL!"  
Ranma shook his head. "No, I'm sure you were at least a little evil before."  
"Oh shut up!! This is not a topic that's open for discussion!" Ryoga screamed, before regaining his composure. "In any case, you're coming with me."  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa!! Hold on a sec!! How the hell did you do that?!" Ranma yelled from his position chained into a chair along with Kyusaku, guarded by two men with automatic weapons.  
"I'm a better fighter than you! So how did you capture us all by yourself?!"  
Ryoga smiled smugly. "That's for the author to know, and for you to... to... not know. Anyway, let's get down to business. WHAT IS THE SEQUENCE?!"  
Ranma shook his head angrily. "I told you, I don't know! I just typed it in by accident!"  
Ryoga snorted. "Do you have any idea what the chances of you typing in just the right sequence of characters in by accident are?!"  
Ranma stared at him passively. "Yeah, so? What's your point?"  
Ryoga gave him a hard stare. "Aw, never mind." He turned to Kyusaku, and gave him a light punch on the head. "I don't suppose you'd consider telling me, would you?"  
"Damn right!" Kysaku growled. "And will someone get me a cigarette?! I'm dyin' here!"  
  
Ryoga chuckled darkly as he turned around, and slipped a remote control out of his pocket.  
"I thought that I may have to resort to an 'alternate' form of persuasion. Take a look at this!" Ryoga clicked a button on the remote, and one entire wall slid up to reveal a huge TV screen. It flickered for a moment, before showing an isolated room with Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka, and Saiyuri all tied to chairs and surrounded by guards.  
  
Hiroshi sighed. "I can't believe this is the only part we're getting in this fic."  
"HELLO!!! We have bigger problems here!!" Yuka yelled into his ear.  
  
Ranma sweatdropped. "What the hell? Why'd you kidnap them? Why not take the Tendos?"  
Ryoga coughed and suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Miss Nabiki Tendo has... some very good legal consultants. It was considered much safer to just grab the most important extras."  
Ryoga's smile returned. "Now, either you tell me the sequence in the next 30 seconds, or I will show them THIS!!" Ryoga grabbed something out of nowhere and thrust it in Ranma's face. "An Olsen Twins movie!!"  
Ranma's eyes went wide. Kyusaku bigsweated. "What kind of sadistic monster are you?!"  
Ryoga tapped the cassette box against the edge of the chair. "Was that a 'no'? Too bad."  
Clicking a button on the remote control, another TV in the prisoner's room activated, and said prisoners all looked at it as the guards evacuated the room.  
  
*It Takes Two, starring Mary Kate and Ashley!*  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Ranma struggled against the chains in an effort to free himself, but it proved useless.  
Ryoga chuckled. "Don't even bother Ranma. Those chains are made from super-high-density titanium, which has no reason to even exist, save keeping people like you and me tied up."  
Kyusaku started to sweat heavily as the screams of terror from the prisoner's room toned down to a fearful whimpering. Damn he wished he could reach his cigarettes!  
"All right! All right! I'll give you the sequence! Just stop this madness at once!"  
Ryoga smiled broadly and hit two buttons on the remote control, causing the wall to once again take the place of the TV. Putting a pencil in Kyusaku's mouth and holding a notepad to the point, the computer genius somehow managed to write a long line of legible code.  
Ryoga gave a curt laugh, then pocketed the piece of paper. Then, without further fanfare, he began to walk out of the room, snapping his fingers at one of the nearby guards. "Kill them."  
Kyusaku's eyes widened. "But... but... a-at least let the kid go! He has nothing to do with this!" Ryoga didn't listen, however, and simply left the room.  
  
Kyusaku gulped as the men with the guns took aim. "Look kid, you've got to transform! Turn into the Freakazoid! Hurry!"  
Ranma tried harder to break free, but to no avail. "I don't know how! *Grunt* Damn it! I could break free if only the stupid author wasn't trying to satisfy a second plot line!"  
At that moment, one of the thugs suddenly stopped the other. "Hold up. They say that this kid turns into a girl when he gets wet. Let's check that out before we waste him." With that he produced a glass of water.  
Ranma sighed. Great. His last moments alive were going to be as a girl being leered at by two evil minions barely more intelligent than your average garden slug.  
*Splash*  
The henchman had to shield his eyes as there was a sudden explosion of light.  
(Cue Freakazoid music)  
"What the hell? He turned blue! And he's still a guy! What's going on here?!" The henchman glanced at the glass now bereft of water, wondering if he had done something wrong.  
Freaked-out Ranma smiled broadly. "Hello!"  
The other henchman who still had his gun trained on Ranma just chuckled and flipped off the safety. "Eh, so you changed color on the outside. I wonder if your insides changed color too?"  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Ranma dusted off his hands. "Well, that was easy."  
The two henchman blinked, then realized that they were now chained to the chair.  
"What?! How did this happen?!"  
Ranma grinned smugly. "It's called a cut-scene. Anything can happen, and they require absolutely no explanation whatsoever!" Ranma's grin broke into a happy smile and he started dancing around the room.  
"YEAH!! I'm #1! I'm #1! Who rocks?! Who rolls?! Yeah! Yeah! Oh yeah!"  
Kyusaku quickly groped in his pocket for a cigarette, then quickly lit it. That accomplished, he grabbed Ranma's arm. "All right! Good work kid!"  
Ranma nodded appreciatively. "Wanna go out for some ice cream?"  
Kyusaku shook his head and headed for the door to the hallway. "Not now! If we don't stop Ryoga, he'll enter the sequence and become a Freakazoid, just like you! Except he'll be evil! And-what are you doing?"  
Kyusaku sweatdropped as he realized that Ranma was still back in the room, doodling on the minions' faces with a magic marker. "This is no time for games! Come on!"  
Ranma sighed. "Oh, you're no fun."  
  
They proceeded to run down the hallway, until they came to a fork. Ranma suddenly turned to Kyusaku. "All right, Ro Sham Bo!"  
Kyusaku sighed. "We have a better chance of finding him if we split up. I'll go left, and you go right!"  
"You'll both be going down in a moment! Put your hands up!" several men with automatic weaponry swarmed into the hallway from behind them.  
Kyusaku was about to do as ordered, when Ranma suddenly pointed towards an open window behind him.  
"Kyusaku, look!" The computer scientist turned around in panic.  
Ranma pointed down the corrider that the henchmen had come from. "Now! Run for it!" The henchmen all fled.  
  
Kyusaku blinked. Twice. "Um................ okaaaaaaay...... left! I was going... left! Yes, and you go right! Yeah, okay..."  
With that he quickly took off down the left passageway. Ranma watched him go for a while, then shrugged and started walking down the right path, humming "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Meanwhile, back in the computer room.  
"Damn it! I hate these things!" Ryoga smashed the keyboard in frustrated rage, easily shattering the cheap plastic. Then he sweatdropped, and moved on to the next computer in the long line on the table.  
"Okay, connect to the internet...... what? 'Press any key to continue'? Which one's the 'any' key?" Ryoga stood up, then glanced offscreen. "Huh? We already did that joke?"  
He sat down again at the computer, and typed a few keys. "What now? 'Illegal operation'?" Ryoga blinked, then narrowed his eyes at the offending moniter. "Exactly how much do you know about this 'illegal operation'?"  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
And now, back to Kyusaku.  
  
The computer genius extraordinaire was currently running for his life, being chased down by several large men with machine guns.  
"Why did I say we should split up?! Why didn't I stay with him?!" He redoubled his efforts as a burst of gunfire richoched off the floor behind him.  
Noticing a room with a large computer displayed on a panel on the door, he rushed into it, closing and locking the door just as a volley of bullets hailed the other side of the door.  
"It's times like these that I wish I'd gone into robotics and created a super-powerful android to defend me...... Psh! Yeah right!" Walking over to the nearest computer, he turned it on and hit a few keys to bypass all unnecessary start-up procedures.  
There was banging on the door. "Open up! This is the police!"  
Kyusaku stared at the door incredulously. "No you're not, you're the guys who just chasing me! How stupid do you think I am?"  
There was a meaty *thwack*, followed by "Idiot! I told you that wouldn't work!"  
Kyusaku shook his head as he logged onto the internet. The banging on the door got louder.  
  
The henchman broke the door open just as a swirling vortex sucked their quarry into the depths of the web.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Okay, I think I got it now..." Ryoga swallowed deeply as his finger slowly depressed the 'delete' key.  
A character disappeared.  
"................................................................................" was soon followed by "DAAAAMMMMNNN IT!!!!!"  
Breathing quite heavily, Ryoga once again checked the characters on the little sheet of paper to the sequence in the URL. "Oh for the love of-I only messed up on one key! How hard could it possibly be to become a superhuman around here?!"  
"Hey, let me try."  
Ryoga looked up to see Ranma, in freaka-form, sitting on top of his computer.  
"What in the......" Ryoga backed away, and Ranma hopped down in front of the computer.  
He flexed his fingers, then sat down stiffly in front of the keyboard, hands poised like a pianist.  
*Click-Click-Click-Cliiiiiick, Click-Click-Click-Cliiiiiiiick*,  
*Click-Click-Click-Click, Click-Click-Click-Click, Click-Click-Click-Cliiiick*,  
*Click-Click-Click-Click, Click-Click-Click-Click, Click-Click-Click-Cliiiick*,  
*Click-Click-Click-Cliiiick*,  
*Click-Click-Click-Cliiiick*,  
*Click-Click-Click-Click...Click...CLICK*  
  
Ryoga simply stared. "Wait a minute. Blue skin. Lightning hair. Big 'F' on chest. Can play Beethoven's symphonies on a keyboard. You must be a Freakazoid! Which means...... RANMA!!!"  
Ranma nodded happily. "That is correct! You get a cookie."  
Ranma tossed a cookie at him, and Ryoga swatted it away angrily. "I'll kill you!"  
Ryoga lunged, and Ranma ducked under him as Ryoga punched his fist right through the opposite wall.  
Ranma chuckled. "I think I'll have to teach you a lesson."  
Ryoga rounded on him and charged again. "I'm the teacher here! And the subject is PAIN!!!"  
Ranma stepped aside deftly as Ryoga demolished a multi-thousand dollar computer setup. "That was good. You make that up yourself?"  
Ryoga growled as he turned around, then jumped toward Ranma with a flying kick. "Shut up, stay still, and die like a man!"  
Once again Ranma took a step to the side, sending Ryoga crashing into the other side of the room.  
"Like a man? What are we, cavemen? Real men don't settle their conflicts with fists, we're smarter than that!"  
Ryoga got up from where he landed and glared at him, left eye twitching slightly.  
"Real men settle their conflicts with GUNS!!!"  
"......... You have got to be kidding me," Ryoga deadpanned.  
Ranma grinned maliciously and reached behind him... *Cha-chink!* To pull out two HUGE plastic rifles, each with the words Super Soaker on the side and a fully loaded plastic water tank on top. Each one had several barrels, as well as many ridiculously complex looking devices on the side.  
"Now you have to ask yourself one question....... 'do I feel lucky?'"  
Ryoga gulped.  
"Well? Do ya? PUNK?!" Ranma hit a switch on the back of the water cannons, and several automatic pumping devices started up, along with a few loaded water balloon launchers that popped out of the top.  
Ryoga wimpered.  
"G-bye P-chan! See ya in St. Louis!" He stopped. "Wait... aw, the hell with it." *THOOOM!!!*  
  
Outside, the police that had just began to gather outside of the gigantic office building were subjected to the sight of the entire top two floors having their windows blown out by a sudden, huge rush of water.  
  
Ranma cackled evilly and replaced the water artillery back into his super-special sub-space sack (trying saying that 5 times fast).  
At that moment the moniter behind him lit up, and Ranma's attention was drawn to a message that typed itself across the screen.  
[How ya doin' kid? From what I can tell, you beat Ryoga. Good work! I'll just be taking a spin around cyberspace for a while, so don't worry about me. Oh, by the way, to go into superhuman form requires nothing but cold water, and somehow the process is reversed by hot water. I have no idea why this is. Well, until we meet again, goodbye and farewell!]  
Ranma nodded, then started to turn around when he noticed something happening on the screen.  
"What the....... he's uploading his porn collection! .................................. Eh, whatever." Shrugging a final time, Ranma gathered up the unconcsious pig on the floor and left the building.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
The crowd cheered as Ranma walked out of the building, pig in hand. He wasn't sure why they were there, but he wasn't in the proper frame of mind to worry about something like that, so he waved to them and they cheered louder.  
Ranma heroically walked up to the nearest police officer, who was going to say something when Ryoga was unceremoniously dropped into his hands.  
Ranma smiled and bowed. "Thank you for your services officer. My work... is done!"  
With that he walked away from the confused police officer, who, in not finding any other use for the pig, dropped it on the ground and watched the guy in the red PJs walk through the cheering crowd.  
"FREAK-A-ZOID!!! FREAK-A-ZOID!!! FREAK-A-ZOID!!! FREAK-A-ZOID!!!"  
Ranma for the most part ignored the chanting, instead being drawn to a car that suddenly pulled up to the sidewalk.  
"Dr. Tofu?"  
Dr. Tofu shook his hand as he got out the car. "A job well done, Freakazoid. Want to go out for some ice cream?"  
"WOULD I?!?!"  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
(3 caramel sundaes and a banana split later)  
  
Tofu licked his lips as he put another spoonful of hot fudge into his mouth. Ranma was also eating a hot fudge sundae next to him, but was eating a lot faster.  
"So... you know what I'd do if I had powers like that? I'd become one of those super heroes. But that's me."  
Ranma stopped eating and looked at him. "But you're a martial artist right? With enough training you could become a super hero."  
Tofu shrugged. "Maybe, but I chose to be a physician. They have a better union."  
Ranma thought about it, then shook his head. "Nah..."  
"Are you sure? You could protect the innocent."  
"Nah..."  
"Fight for love and justice."  
"Nah..."  
"Work towards world peace."  
"Nah..."  
"Impress the ladies."  
Ranma paused. "Hmmmmmmm.......... nah..."  
"And the annual superhero convention down in Tokyo has a free barbeque. I hear it's going to be grilled swordfish and pork ribs this year.  
"BY GOD, I'LL DO IT!!!"  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Again, I would like to apologize to all the people I've offended by writing this... including myself... for ruining the comedic sanctity of the most glorious Ranma 1/2 with this... this...... oh, why do I even bother?  
Freaking Out  
Chapter 02  
A Ranma 0.5/Freakazoid fusion  
by Black Dragon  
  
Standard disclaimer applies... Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Freakazoid to Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg. Yes, I know, I promised myself I wouldn't continue this... but I can't help it!  
  
Starring Ranma Saotome as: Freakazoid!  
Dr. Tofu as: Freakazoid's pal!  
Kyusaku (from All-Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku) as: The funny-looking computer nerd!  
Minako Aino (from Sailor Moon) as: The primary romantic sub-plot!  
Ryoga Hibiki as: The high-level evil dude!  
Genma and the Tendos as: The clueless family!  
Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka, and Saiyuri as: The innocent bystanders! (Targets)  
And also starring Julianne Moore as The Hopping Woman!  
  
Characters from other series will have little, if anything, in common with those other series.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
Ranma sighed happily as he downed the last of his miso soup. He set down the bowl, taking a moment to reflect how not having to defend your food could do wonders toward the enjoyment of a meal.  
Genma lay at the other end of the room, beaten and battered.  
Soun risked a glance out from behind his newspaper to his youngest houseguest. Somehow the boy had easily dispatched Genma this morning, beating him with strength and speed that many would not have expected, as soon as the elder Saotome tried to throw Ranma toward the koi pond.  
Ranma ignored the curious glances, starting on another helping of soup.  
His meal was interrupted as a fist smashed his head into the bowl he was eating from.  
"Ow!! Ack! Bleagh! Hey, what'd you do that for?!"  
He turned around to see Akane glaring at him. He waited for an explanation, and Akane suddenly shoved something in his face.  
Said "something" turned out to in fact be Ryoga, in pig form of course, complete with black eyepatch.  
Ranma looked up at his fiancee. "Okay...... something wrong with P?"  
Akane's glare intensified. "When I found P-chan this morning he was wearing an eyepatch. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"  
Ranma rolled his eyes. "Oh, is that all? It's just because he's evil."  
Akane's glare turned into a confused expression. "Evil? What?"  
Ranma leaned back a bit. "Well, I mean, he was always a little evil, but now he's really evil. Or at least that's what he told me."  
Akane was now really confused. "What? He told you? What are you talking about?"  
Ranma just shrugged. "Ask the pig."  
  
Akane was about to interrogate him further, or at least smash him good for whatever he probably did to P-chan, when she happened to glance at the wall clock.  
"Baka! We're going to be late! Come on!" Before Ranma could protest, he found himself being dragged outside by his collar.  
"Leggo a me, wouldja? I have to get my bag, anyway!"  
Growling at her fiancee, Akane let him go and took off at a good clip toward Furinkan. Ranma joined her a moment later, running on the fence as usual.  
  
Their journey was impeded only by a little old woman, who happened to throw a ladle of water in a high arc right in Ranma's way.  
  
*Splash*  
Akane almost facefaulted as she stopped and turned around.  
"You idiot! Now we're definitely going... to... be......... late....................."  
Akane blinked. The old lady threw another ladle's worth of water onto the sidewalk.  
Akane looked around. The old lady emptied another ladle.  
Akane scratched her head. *Splash* went the water.  
Looking around, she could find no trace of Ranma, girl or boy. The only people on the street were herself, the old lady, and an old man wrapped up in a robe with a walking stick.  
Akane stared at the scene for at least 20 more seconds before deciding that if Ranma was just going to disappear on her than he deserved to be late, and took off once more for the school.  
  
Akane left, and the little old woman continued washing the sidewalk.  
The old man unsteadily crawled up to her, and a bit of light glinted off something under a fold of cloth.  
*GOOSH!* Water exploded from the nozzle of the firehose, drenching the old lady and knocking her back into her front yard.  
Freakazoid ditched the old rags before pointing at the drenched lady and laughing. "Ha ha!"  
That accomplished, he tossed the oversized hose aside and set off after Akane.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Akane checked her watch again as she ran past Dr. Tofu's and headed further down the street. She figured that at her current pace, without having to deal with Kuno, she'd make it into class just before the bell rang.  
Suddenly she stopped. Narrowing her eyes, she quickly turned around.  
Nothing. The street was deserted.  
'That's funny. I could have sworn I was being followed...' Shrugging, she turned around right before she bumped into somebody.  
"Oh, I'm sorr-YOU!!!" Akane fell back into a defensive stance as she saw the same blue guy that had beaten her so easily before.  
Ranma just smiled. "Hello! Did you miss me?"  
Akane growled. "All right you jerk! This time it's for real! Take THIS!!"  
Ranma just stared wide-eyed at the large wooden mallet as it descended and smashed him into the pavement.  
Akane smirked at his prone form, letting her hammer rest on her shoulder. "Hmph. I guess I showed you."  
Suddenly, Ranma got up and dusted himself off. "That didn't hurt."  
Akane blinked, then stepped back. "Wha-what?"  
Ranma smiled again. "For one thing, you didn't use a big enough hammer!" Ranma stuck his hands behind his back, then pulled out a huge steel mallet with "10 Tons" printed on the side of the head.  
Akane was suddenly very afraid for her life. Quickly going through her options, she ditched the mallet and ran screaming past Ranma toward Furinkan.  
Ranma laughed evilly before giving chase. "Hey wait! Come on! I promise, this won't hurt me a bit!"  
Akane ran faster.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Yuka and Saiyuri were chatting amiably amongst themselves, about cute guys, Akane's love life, and the latest evil plot that they had gotten dragged into, when something collided heavily with Saiyuri, sending her sprawling.  
That "something" was one Akane Tendo.  
"Akane! What happened? Are you okay?" Yuka helped her friend up as Saiyuri dusted herself off.  
Akane looked like she was hyperventilating. "Gotta run away! Gotta run! He'll kill me!"  
Saiyuri's eye's widened. "Who'll kill you? Ranma?!"  
Akane shook her head. "No! The blue guy! The blue guy with lightning hair and red underwear!"  
They blinked. "Huh?" they muttered in unison.  
"The blue guy! He's right behind me!!" She turned around.  
Predictably, she didn't see a thing. Neither did her friends. "But he was right behind me! I swear! He had a huge mallet!" She stopped ranting when Yuka put a hand to her forehead.  
"Hmmmm... no fever. Still, I think you should go home and get some rest Akane."  
Akane shook her head fervently. "I'm not crazy! He was just-I mean that he-Every time that-And the hammer..........."  
Yuka and Saiyuri slowly started to back away as Akane kept staring at them with a crazed, panicked expression.  
"Uh, yeah, okay, the blue guy..." Yuka started to turn around.  
"Right, of course. The blue guy with lightning hair and red underwear isn't going to hurt you Akane. You're safe, understand?" Saiyuri wasn't leaving as fast as Yuka, but was making sure to distance herself from the youngest Tendo.  
Akane looked like she wanted to say something, what with her mouth being open and her hand pointing hysterically down the street that she came from, but no sound would come out. Finally, she clamped her mouth shut, and hung her head, defeated.  
"All right, never mind. Let's get to school."  
  
None of them noticed the steel periscope that watched them silently from the canal next to the walk.  
  
As they walked out of sight, bubbles started to emerge from the base of the periscope.  
Eventually, Ranma's head broke the surface of the water, and he took in a deep breath of air, before hacking and coughing and spitting out a fish.  
"Huh... don't know how that little sucker got in there......" shrugging, Ranma started doing the breaststroke down the length of the canal.  
He continued doing this until he had almost hit a corner, then started swimming at an angle, coming out of the water and doing the breaststroke through the air.  
He kept swimming, or flying, or whatever, until he was directly overhead a house's roof, at which point he pinched his nose and slowly floated down onto the house.  
Stepping up, he put a hand to his forehead, then scanned the area. "Hmmm... as a superhero, I must find evil to vanquish!"  
As he couldn't see any evil at the moment, he turned around and pulled out a big box with the words "Long-Range Sound Amplification Device" on it.  
He opened the box, then pulled out an orange traffic cone.  
"With this, I'll be able to hear the sounds of evil for miles!" after posing triumphantly for no reason, he put the large end over his ear and listened.  
And listened......  
"Wait! I think I hear something!"  
"Help! Somebody help me!" Across the street, a small band of heavily armed thugs were trying to bring a struggling teenage girl with long blond hair into their getaway car.  
Ranma lowered himself a bit to hear better. "It's very faint..."  
The thugs that was holding the girl from around the back put his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. She struggled a bit more, then bit his hand.  
"OUCH!!! SONUVA &#%!$ BIT ME!!!"  
"HELP ME!!! PLEASE!!! ANYONE!!!"  
That was as far as she got before a gag was tied around her mouth, and she was soon bound tightly with rope. She looked up in fear at the obvious head of the thugs. Obvious because he was the only one with any kind of distinguishing features at all. Just like all the others, he was dressed in a blue pinstripe business suit with a blue hat to match, looking very much like a Mafia hitman. His only distinguishing characteristic, oddly enough, was that one hand seemed to be replaced with an MK-47 machine gun.  
He chuckled deeply. "Now now, don't be scared. You'll be returned, nice and safe, once your rich daddy pays us the 200 million yen. And then all will learn to fear the name of Tommy Gunn! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!" Tommy fired a few shots into the air, then everyone piled into the car and left.  
  
Back on the roof, Ranma lowered the traffic cone and frowned. "Hmmm. Distant shouting followed by distant gunfire. Obviously EVIL is afoot! I must put a stop to it without delay!!"  
He struck a pose. At that moment, Dr. Tofu drove up and stuck his head out the window.  
"Hey Freakazoid, wanna go play a round of miniature golf?"  
Ranma immediately turned around and leapt into the car. "Okay!"  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
The scene opens in a sparsely decorated office, with a large desk in the middle covered in various papers. A bald man with a huge forehead who seems to be squinting is sitting on the desk.  
"Who is this gun-crazed, one-armed man? Who is this heat-packing hoodlum?"  
"Tom McKintire was once an honest, hard-working citizen who collected various firearms and headed the local NRA chapter in Nerima. His hobbies included collecting guns, shooting guns, sharpshooting, dullshooting, hunting, range shooting, FPS video games, and calligraphy."  
"Tom liked guns so much, that he actually slept at night with an automatic weapon at his side. One day, someone played a mean practical joke, and stuck the gun to his hand with superglue."  
"The doctors had to operate to remove the gun, but the operation failed, forever welding the weapon to his left wrist. Feeling bitter and depressed, and possessing lots of ammo, Tom changed his last name to Gunn in order to fulfill the silly pun, and began his life of crime."  
"And now you know the rest of the back-story. Good day!"  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Ooh! I love the one with the big monkey!" Ranma rushed up to the course, then put his little orange ball onto the starting pad. The large wooden gorilla swung his arms back and forth along the green padded path in perfectly timed motion, leering at the various golfers.  
Dr. Tofu smiled. "Yeah, though the castle's a real hit too."  
Ranma lined up his initial shot, then got on the ground and used his club to measure the angle.  
Dr. Tofu leaned on his club as he waited for Ranma to finish. "You know, I just heard that that Tommy Gunn character is holed up in an abandoned warehouse over on the east side. Rumor is that he's holding Minako Aino hostage, and he's demanding 200,000,000 yen for her safe return."  
Ranma got up again, then frowned and moved the starting pad over a bit to get a better angle, and then got down to measure again. "Really? You gonna go check that out?"  
Tofu shook his head. "Nah. I've got a ton of paperwork that I've got to finish back at the office. I thought you might want to go, seeing how you're a superhero and this is a pretty basic 'save the damsel in distress' scenario."  
Ranma stopped to think about that. "Why, you're right! I'll save her immediately! ......... Right after this game." he turned back to the course.  
Aiming very carefully, and taking a few soft practice swings, he focused his stare on the little hole under the gorilla's swinging arms. "Gotta time this just right........."  
*Thwack!* *Ptong* *Sploosh* The ball bounced off the gorilla's head, then sailed in a high arc over the golfers' heads to fall into the large decorative lake behind them.  
Ranma fumed and threw his club on the ground. "Nutbunnies! I hate those stupid water hazards!" He turned to Dr. Tofu. "Well, I guess I'd better go now Doc, ciao!"  
He turned around, then stretched his arms out in front of him and ran off.  
"Wooooooooooooooooooosh!"  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Man, I hate guard duty." The gate to the warehouse was guarded by two large thugs, both of them wearing Mafia-style pinstripe suits and carrying machine guns.  
Both were also bored as hell.  
"Man, how about that Aino chick though, eh? She's got a fine bod. It's too bad this fic is rated G, otherwise we coulda had some fun with her."  
The other man chuckled in agreement before spotting an approaching figure. "Hold up. Someone's coming."  
The man with the blue face dressed in work overalls and carrying a toolbox was apparently oblivious to the guns trained on him.  
"Hello!"  
The first thug poked him with the muzzle of his gun. "Who're you?"  
Ranma adjusted the denim cap on his head and smiled. "Plumber sir! Got a report of some bad piping over at this address. Something wrong with the toilet, they said."  
The man scowled. "Nobody told me about no plumber."  
Ranma nodded. "Well, from the description of the problem, he's probably still showering. You see........."  
Ranma suddenly leaned in and whispered to the two men. "Well, I really don't want to go into details, but let me just say that if you flush that baby, a lot of nasty stuff will come out, rather than go in."  
The man backed away, looking slightly green. "Oh, uh, okay, right, gotta take care o' that. Go right ahead."  
Ranma thanked the men and walked into the large double-doors without incident, closing them behind him.  
The two guards turned back around and went back to guarding.  
".................... Hey, waitaminute... this is an old storage warehouse. It doesn't have a bathroom!"  
The other man's eyes widened and the two thugs turned around and tried to open the door, only to find that it wouldn't budge.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Ranma dusted off his hands as he finished locking the door, then quickly ditched his overalls.  
Then he turned around.  
To look straight down the barrel of an assault rifle.  
The thug that was holding it was backed up by a large group of henchmen, all indistinguishable from each other and all armed to the teeth.  
The lead man chuckled darkly and cocked the rifle. "Well now, what have we here, it looks like someone's a little los-"  
"HUSH!! Quiet!" Ranma suddenly looked back and forth frantically, as if afraid something was going to jump out and attack him.  
The lead thug blinked. "What?"  
Ranma stared at him with a crazed look in his eyes. "Be quiet, or it'll hear you."  
The man raised an eyebrow. "It?"  
Ranma nodded and crept closer to him. "Yes. There's EVIL about."  
The man gulped, and all his men started looking around cautiously. "Evil? Where?"  
Ranma crept up very close, then started looking around some more. "Nobody knows... it's a dark, evil thing that sneaks up behind you, and does... well... dark, evil things to you..."  
The men were fairly panicked now, and started waving their guns around frantically, searching for a target.  
Ranma suddenly stepped back, and pointed behind the group. "THE EVIL!!! IT'S BEHIND YOU!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"  
The thugs all turned around to see a huge shadow cast against the wall, grinning at them menacingly. Then they all screamed and ran for the exit, plowing through the barricade and trampling the two guards into unconsciousness.  
The mouse that had cast the shadow squeaked in confusion, then moved out of the light beam shining from a conveniently placed lamp and skittered off into its hole.  
Ranma blinked. "Oh, wait, never mind."  
Whistling to himself, he started walking toward the back of the warehouse.  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Hmmm... I wonder what all that yelling was about." Tommy Gunn looked toward the next room in the warehouse. "Eh, there was no gunfire, so it couldn't a been that important."  
Minako, who was still tied up but no longer gagged, bigsweated as she looked around at the numerous stacks of crates, each one marked in big red kanji, warning that the crate contained a set of weapons, ammunition, or explosives inside.  
"Uh, are all these weapons really necessary? I just don't see the point. You don't have enough men to give all these guns to."  
Tommy turned around, considered her argument, then shrugged. "Eh, it's the whole self-image thing. I gotta keep up appearances, and that means lots of guns."  
He slid up on top of a crate. "Heh, don't worry your pretty little head. My money should be here in about 10 minutes, and then you can leave."  
He started shining his gun-arm, and cocked his head slightly. "Say, you got a boyfriend or anything? Maybe we could go get coffee sometime, you know, after this whole thing blows over."  
Minako sweatdropped. "Uh, well, I'm flattered, really, but I don't usually date older guys. Especially not criminals. With prosthetic limbs."  
Tommy shrugged and lied back on the crate. "Eh, whatever, it was worth a shot."  
  
*BAM!*  
Minako and Tommy focused their attention on the doorway as the door came crashing down, to reveal Ranma, in all his red pajama-garbed glory.  
Tommy jumped off the crate and readied his gun-arm. "What in the? Where are my men?"  
Ranma gave a curt laugh. "So Tommy Gunn! At last, we meet again, for the first time!"  
Tommy was about just shoot him, when he stopped and tried to figure out what he had just said.  
"As for your men, last I saw they were running for their lives as they went potty in their pants! And you're next!"  
Tommy suddenly came to a realization, and pointed to Ranma. "Hey! Now I know who you are! You're that Freakazoid guy everybody's been talking about on TV!"  
Ranma nodded. "That's right! You get a cookie!" he tossed him a cookie.  
The lead thug snatched it out of the air in confusion, then shrugged and ate it.  
"*Gulp* Hey, that's not bad... oh yeah, I have to kill you now, don't I?"  
Ranma opened his mouth to speak. "Aaaah......"  
*Rattattattattattattattattattatta!!*  
Ranma "eeped", then started dodging the hail of bullets, running around the room and diving behind a stack of crates.  
  
Ranma stayed there as bullets tore into the wooden container, ready to jump for more cover should this area become unsafe. Minako managed to crawl up to him, leaning against the same crate as another round of gunfire erupted from their assailant.  
Ranma waved to her. "Hi! I'm Freakazoid!"  
Minako blinked. "Uh... Minako Aino. Say, you had a plan for this whole rescue, didn't you? I mean, you're just waiting for the right time to use it, right?"  
Ranma chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head.  
"Well, I had one to get in, but I doubted the plumber bit would work with anyone but the guards so I'm kinda winging it now."  
*Rattattattat-* *Click* *Click* "Nuts! Gotta reload!"  
Minako became frantic. "Quick! Now! Do something!"  
Ranma frowned, then jumped up into Tommy's line of sight.  
"Well, I already did this gag in the last chapter, but what the heck!"  
As Tommy struggled to load the clip, Ranma sneered at him.  
"Now you just have to ask yourself one question: Do I feel-YIPE!!"  
Unfortunately, Tommy had finished reloading, and the gun was already spitting a rapid series of bullets at him.  
Time seemed to almost freeze, and the bullets seemed to move impossibly slowly, being trailed by wavy distortions in the air. Ranma was also moving slowly, though not as slow as the bullets, and awkwardly wove in between them in what appeared to be a klutzy and frantic dance. After a few more seconds of this he seemed to get bored, and simply stood up and walked away from the steady stream of lead.  
Moving to the cooler in the corner of the room, he opened it and picked up a can of soda pop, popping the lid and chugging it down.  
Back over where Tommy was, time returned to normal, and the master thug saw that his target had disappeared.  
"What the bloody-? How'd he do that?"  
Minako peeked up from behind the crate. "Wow! That was so cool!"  
Tommy growled and aimed his gun-arm at her. "Get back down and shut up!"  
He heard a voice behind him. "That's no way to talk to a lady, Mr. Gunn."  
Tommy turned around, then paled when he saw Ranma aiming a submachine gun at him.  
"Ha ha ha! Take this!" *Tattattattattattatta!*  
Tommy grunted and then screamed as the projectiles' impact knocked him back into a stack of crates.  
Groaning in pain, Tommy brought his only hand up to his chest, and his heart nearly stopped as he felt a warm, thick liquid on his shirt.  
He brought up his hand, and saw that the liquid was bright red.  
He stared in horror at Ranma one last time before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell limp.  
  
"You shot him with a paintball gun?" Minako queried.  
Tommy's eyes shot open. He looked back to his arm, to see bright green, blue, and yellow liquid on his wrists and arms just below his hand.  
Growling in anger, he turned to the crate next to him, then smashed open the lid. Rifling around inside for a bit, he pulled out and then loaded what was obviously a bazooka.  
"Awright, now you're dead!"  
Ranma frowned, then pulled out what appeared to be a gatling gun from nowhere. "Oh yeah?"  
Tommy snorted. "What's that? Another paintball gun?"  
Ranma opened his mouth to deny it, then stopped. "Uh, yeah, it is, as a matter of fact."  
Tommy shook his head. "Geezus Christ, boy! Why don't you just use a real gun?"  
Ranma dropped his weapon and twiddled his thumbs. "Well... it's just that... you, know, they're illegal and all. I mean, I'm really not even 17 yet."  
Tommy blinked. "Heh. Figures. Typical of the Japanese government, keeping people from their rights to bear arms. *Sigh* God bless America."  
Ranma crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I don't see what's so great about them. Look at you, you're such a fanatic that you can't solve a problem without shooting somebody."  
Tommy's face turned red in anger and he started stuttering. "I-I c-can too. I, I... I just don't want to! Yeah!"  
Ranma rolled his eyes. "Uh huh, suuuuuuuure."  
The one-armed man fumed for a moment, then grinned and tossed his bazooka on the floor.  
"All right blue boy, I'll try it your way! Now how we gonna setlle this?"  
Ranma smiled and grabbed his hand. "Thumb wrestling!"  
Tommy's features took on a look of the utmost concentration as their thumbs moved back and forth.  
"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war! Firstonetoblinkloses!!"  
Tommy blinked. "What?"  
Ranma grinned. "Ha! I win!"  
Before the criminal could understand what had just happened, Ranma rushed around him, and the one-armed criminal found himself tied up. He blinked again.  
"You're really not very good at this game, aren't you?" With that he kicked the man from the room, sending him crashing through the wall of the warehouse.  
  
Ranma smiled triumphantly as he untied MInako.  
"Wow, that was so cool! My shiny horse in white armor!"  
Ranma blinked as the rope went slack. "Uh, I think you meant either 'my prince on a white horse', or 'my knight in shinimmmph..."  
He had trouble continuing as Minako had locked him into a passionate kiss, her arms wrapped around his head. Eventually she broke the kiss, and settled for snuggling into Ranma's chest.  
Ranma sat there for a moment, then grinned. "Saaaaaaay, I could get used to this!"  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Ranma gave Tommy a kick in the legs just for good measure, then turned toward the police officers, with Minako still clinging to his arm.  
"Good work officers! Don't forget to disarm him!"  
The police looked at him, then down at there prisoner. Then they burst out laughing.  
Ranma looked confused "What? What'd I say?"  
"Minako, darling!"  
"DADDY!!!" Minako let go of Ranma's arm, to jump into her father's embrace.  
Ranma walked up to the man and bowed. "There's your daughter, safe and sound, Mr. Aino."  
The man in the expensive-looking suit that had arrived via private helicopter smiled at him. "Well, thank you very much. You're Freakazoid, right?"  
Ranma grinned widely. "That's right! Here's your cookie!" he tossed him a cookie.  
The man blinked in confusion, and almost didn't catch the pastry out of the air. "Uh... thanks. Minako, why don't you go wait in the helicopter. I'll be right with you."  
"Okay!" Minako ran over to Ranma, handing him a slip of paper before giving him a peck on the cheek. "Call me." Then she ran off into the helicopter.  
  
Ranma waved goodbye, and then Mr. Aino put his arm around his back and started leading him away from the helipad.  
"Now son, tell me, do you have a job?"  
Ranma blinked. "Uh... I'm a superhero sir."  
"Yes, yes, I know, but what about your alter ego's career? Superheroing doesn't put food on the table."  
Ranma sweatdropped. "Well, um, I'm still a student, you see, and-"  
The man nodded. "Hmmm, I see. Any prospects for the future? Are you planning to become a doctor, maybe, or go to law school?"  
Ranma was beginning to see where this was heading. "Hey, look behind you! It's Godzilla!" as soon as the man turned his head, Ranma pulled out a steaming kettle and doused himself.  
Mr. Aino stared as Godzilla sat down on one of the other warehouses, then started munching on a giant squid he held in his claws.  
"Ah... right." He turned back around, then looked about in confusion. "What? What happened to Freakazoid?"  
Ranma scratched his head. "Oh, the guy in the PJs? He left, sorry." Ranma was about to do the same when Mr. Aino stopped him.  
"Say, you look about Minako's age. How do you do in school? Are you single?"  
Ranma bigsweated, then pointed behind him. "Hey look! It's Rodan!"  
The man turned again, to see Rodan perched on a nearby skyscraper, trying to steal Godzilla's squid.  
"*SCREECH!* C'mon G, I haven't had a bite in weeks!"  
Godzilla bit him. This, of course, started yet another Tokyo-crushing fight between the giant radioactive monsters.  
Mr. Aino just shook his head and turned back around, only to see that Ranma had disappeared.  
  
********************************************************************************** 


	6. Iron Tears, A.K.A. The Opening Bet

Disclaimer:  
Ladies and gents, all characters contained herein belong to Rumiko Takahashi, should they be Ranma, or Capcom, should they be Megaman X. All rights to the respective owners. For X buffs out there, only the events through X3 have occurred in the X timeline that I'm using. I've played the others, but that's where I'm setting the timeline. You'll find out why later. Now that that's out of the way...  
  
*****************  
  
Toltiir looked up sharply, hearing the distinctive sound of metal being hit against stone. Finding the source of the sound was easy, since there was only one other person in the immediate vicinity, besides for 'Foxie'.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Flashfyre5 Presents  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The armored humanoid approached Mimir's well with a calm certainty. He had a big grin on his face, and his ice blue eyes glittered in the morning sun.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
A Flaming Amarant Production  
  
* * * * * *  
  
His oversized, armored hands flexed every now and again, and the dark red jewel set in the middle of his forehead glinted, reflecting the sun. His silver and purple body shone, clean enough to reflect.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Hey," Toltiir hissed at Great Fox, rousing him. "You know who this guy is?" Great Fox looked up and located the unusual intruder.  
"Yeah," Great Fox returned. "I met him on the job a few years back. He had a different body, though." Raising his voice, he called, "Hey, Siggy! How're you doing?"  
"I'm fine," he replied, arriving at the well. "Been a while since we met."  
"Yeah. You got a new body," Great Fox commented. "It's a lot classier than your last one."  
"Thanks," 'Siggy' replied, his grin getting a bit larger.  
"Excuse me," Toltiir interjected. "You going to introduce me?"  
"Oh yeah, sorry," Great Fox said, chagrined. "Toltiir, meet Sigma, a Greater Spirit from a remote little timeline. Sigma, this is Toltiir, Elder God of Mischief."  
"Nice to meet you," Sigma said politely.  
"Pleasure's all mine," Toltiir returned, his politeness superficial at best. "You wouldn't happen to be the Sigma that's been reincarnated more often than any other being, would you?  
"That I am," Sigma confirmed. "Ten times, last Wednesday. (Note: That total is accurate as of MMX5)  
"I've heard things about you," Toltiir said, distrustful.  
"That's just from a mind-affecting virus that they put into his mortal body when they reincarnate him," Great Fox explained. "He's actually a pretty nice guy, once you get to know him."  
"Thanks," said Sigma.  
"No problem. What brings you here, anyway?" Great Fox asked.  
"I heard that you guys were letting spirits in on your Bet. Care to let me have a try?" Sigma asked.  
"Sounds fine," Toltiir agreed. "You know the rules, right?"  
"Yeah," Sigma confirmed, looking into Mimir's well. A few seconds passed, and images flashed in the bottom until one finally made Sigma smile.  
"This one," he said. "Crash it into the baseline."  
"Crash?" Great Fox asked, surprised.  
"Yeah. I always wanted to see just how tough the human race was. Here's my chance," Sigma said, smirking. Sighing, Great Fox pulled on the indicated timeline until it followed a course that would fuse it with the baseline.  
"May Kami-sama forgive me," Great Fox whispered. Toltiir, knowing the immediate effects of a crash, nodded in agreement.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The Opening Bet  
Prelude: Collision Course  
A Ranma 1/2- Megaman X crossover  
A fanfic for 'A Second Bet'  
  
" " = speech  
= panda board  
= thought  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma, standing next to his father, gazed at the 'mystical' training grounds and snorted in derision.  
"Don't look like much to me, Pop," he commented offhandedly. "Kinda interesting, though. You ready yet?" Ranma asked, dropping his pack.  
"Whenever you are, Boy," his father taunted, leaping atop one of the poles. Ranma followed suit, finding that the bamboo poles were more challenging to stand on than he'd originally thought.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of Ranma's universe, another would soon collide with it, changing it forever. This kind of thing, however, was not uncommon. Fusions happened often, and crossovers almost weekly. What made them unremarked upon is the Planar Cosmic Law. It dictates that all crossovers and fusions are to be magically softened to the point that no mortal can notice them. In this case, the timelines were so close to convergence that they were already affecting one another. In temporal terms, there was five minutes left until the fusion.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma leapt agilely, avoiding his father's axe kick and landing neatly on a nearby bamboo shoot. His father, recovering from the failed maneuver, did the same, and they faced off again. This time, Ranma attacked his father, feinting a chop with his right hand while truly attacking from below with what would be a vicious snap kick. Genma, though, saw it, and deflected both blows, and the two found themselves regaining their balance upon the dried bamboo.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
A provision made upon the Cosmic Law of Fusions, however, is that a manipulated fusion need not conform to the 'soft landing' model, though it would do so naturally. If, however, this effect is refused, the two planes will 'crash' into one another, causing catastrophic damage and permanent change to the now-united universe. The effect is similar to a crash between an SUV and a sedan, the SUV being the baseline and the sedan being the fusing line. Though the SUV will sustain considerable damage, it will survive. The sedan, however, will be obliterated in the crash. In essence, during a planar crash, the more potent timeline will absorb the other, at significant cost to itself. This would be the case for Ranma's universe, his home plane being the more potent of the two lines. Time to collision: 3 minutes.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma grinned, enjoying the sparring match. He'd seen a few openings in his father's forms, any of which would have allowed him to send the old man into one of the springs below, but he hadn't. He was sure that Genma had extended the same courtesy to him, as extended battle on the poles was more than enjoyable. It was exhilarating, and Ranma could now see why this place was mystical. Finally seeing a hole in his father's defenses that he simply couldn't ignore, he side kicked the old man in the stomach, sending him tumbling into a spring below.  
"That all, old man?" he called, waiting for his father to surface. A few seconds passed, and Ranma began to grow uneasy. Finally, a panda wearing a karate gi that was too small for it burst out of the spring, leaping for a pole. Ranma, alarmed, leapt backwards onto a pole that was much farther away from the bear than he had originally occupied. Left alone, the panda balanced atop a pole and assumed a kempo stance meant for power. Ranma fell into a guarding position, not knowing what else to do.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Time to collision: 30 seconds.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Pop?" Ranma called. "Where are you?" The panda seemed to try and say something, but Ranma ignored it. Finally, something that he'd dismissed as background noise reached him.  
"Oooh, is very bad. Customer fall in spring of drown panda," the guide to the grounds shouted. "Very tragic story of panda who drown there 3000 year ago. Now any what fall in spring take body of panda!"  
"Pop?!" Ranma exclaimed, looking back to the bear. "Is that you?" The bear tried to make more noises, then finally produced a sign out of nowhere.  
the sign read.  
"Pop, look at yourself!" Ranma yelled.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
5...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Genma examined himself, suddenly realizing what had happened. Seeing the Jusenkyo guide standing next to the pools and making his own connections, the panda made to leap.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
4...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The guide, surprised and scared by the 800lb. mass of fur flying at him, did the only thing a sensible person would do: he ran.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
3...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma, resting atop the pole, suddenly felt queasy.  
"Pop," he called, catching the enraged panda's attention. "Something's wrong!" Once the panda abandoned his rage, he too could feel the intense uneasiness that suddenly engulfed him.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
2...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
As he stood still, waiting for an attack, Ranma's queasiness grew swiftly. It felt almost as if something inside of him was changing, twisting. Moaning, he gripped his stomach and fought for his balance.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
1...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Losing the battle to stay aloft, Ranma toppled from the bamboo pole and plummeted towards the springs below. As he fell, the queasiness inside of him turned into a cold, hard knot of pure pain, twisting and growing as he fell. Screaming in agony, Ranma fell.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Collision  
  
* * * * * *  
  
For one eternal instant, Ranma's entire world was pain, in every sense of the word. He could feel his body and world warping and shifting around him, and as a martial artist highly in tune with his world, this was an agonizing occurrence. Then, as suddenly as it had hit him, it was gone. In blissful numbness, Ranma splashed headfirst into the spring below him, beyond caring what it would do to him.  
Finding himself underwater and out of air, however, was something that Ranma quite quickly decided was something he did care about, and swam for the surface of the spring. Surfacing, he gasped in a deep breath of sweet air, ignoring the fact that his body felt very different.  
"Oooh, very very bad," he heard the guide say. "Customer fall in spring of drown girl. Very tragic legend of girl what drown there 1500 year ago. Now, what fall in spring take body of girl!" Idly noting the guide's words, Ranma glanced at his body. He saw breasts. Breasts which were attached to 'his' chest. From deep in his gut, Ranma screamed, shocked and terrified at the change. After he'd exhausted his breath he took another, slowly and deeply. Building his resolve, he climbed from the spring and looked the guide in the eye.  
"There any way to get rid of this?" he asked, barely keeping his voice under control. He wanted nothing more than to take off after his moronic father for bringing him here, but decided that that would solve nothing.  
"No way I know to remove curse," the guide replied. "But hot water make you normal again until splash with cold. I get some water for Customers?"  
"Yeah," Ranma agreed with a feral look in his eyes. "We'll be in in a minute or two." The guide, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, hurried off to his hut and shut the door. As soon as he did, the sounds of battle broke out from the area outside his hut. Shaking his head, the guide went to heat water in a kettle that he kept for just such occasions. Just as it began to steam, the sounds of fighting died down and the young Customer entered the hut, dragging the elder one. Silently, the guide handed the kettle to the boy, who in turn poured half of the contents on his unconscious father. Instantly, the panda resumed its human state, still knocked out. Smiling in relief, Ranma poured the rest of the water on himself.  
As soon as the change happened, Ranma knew that something was Not Right. It took a second for him to decide, but this body felt even more Wrong than the female one. As good a martial artist as he was, his joints were moving with absolute smoothness, and the aches that he'd sustained from his father had vanished. Also, his center of balance was off, even more so than it had been when he'd been female. His legs weighed too much, the kettle was too light, and he had something on his head. Also, the Jusenkyo guide, the singular man in the world that had seen more bizarre physical transformations than anyone, was staring in surprise.  
"Never see springs do that before," the guide commented, glad that he was already sitting down. Ranma finally braced himself for whatever had happened to him and looked at himself. His scream set off an avalanche on the far side of a nearby mountain.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The Apocalypse, as it came to be known, had much more far-reaching effects than an odd body for one pigtailed martial artist. As two worlds tried to merge without a magical cushioning, terrible things happened. In places where two buildings would share one plot of land, they were often both demolished. The Vatican, for example, long considered holy by even Maverick forces in the other world, had been left completely intact. However, two identical stone complexes attempting to occupy a plot of land that was barely large enough to hold one ended in dire results for both. The entire cathedral and all its surrounding buildings were flattened. None lived through the disaster.  
Great Britain suffered badly. Though it had suffered during the Maverick Wars in the divergent timeline, there was enough left in many places for significant damage to be wreaked. Russia fared well, having been a major battlefield during the Wars, as did Japan, for much the same reason. Much of Europe and Africa was heavily damaged, but damaged in ways that were either easily replicable, in the case of the African nations, or the government was mobilized quickly enough to repair and restore with relative ease, despite the loss in life.  
South America went relatively untouched, beyond the fact that much of the Amazon simply vanished in the moment that the planes fused. This was hailed as a Godsend initially, as farmers were now easily able to farm the land. However, the damage to the climate was horrific and, due to the vanishing of the forest, the cures for AIDS and cancer were irretrievably annihilated. Australia didn't change much, aside from the fact that Sydney was leveled. Most of the Australians, being Australians, simply packed up what they could and moved into the Outback. Nobody noticed, or cared, for that matter. There were larger problems to contend with.  
North America, however, fared the worst. For a long time, it had remained aloof from the Wars, disdaining the use of reploids as a viable source of labor. Canada had remained neutral, as always, and America had just started to produce weapons, selling them to the highest bidder. Thus, when the planes merged, there was no such thing as a city left standing in the entire continent. Pristine monuments to democracy and capitalism shattered, finding that it truly was impossible for two objects to occupy the same space simultaneously. The death toll was horrific, and few that had lived in the cities survived. It took the United States decades to rebuild, Canada a full century, and the Central American countries never truly recovered, despite the dedicated work of their surviving populous. Eventually, the Central American nations united to form the Confederation of Central America. An alliance founded upon the need for money, the new oligarchy hoped to prosper. Just the opposite happened. The rich drug barons that now controlled the state grew even richer off Government funds, and nothing significant for reconstruction ever happened. The Confederation disbanded within the first decade of its existence.  
All in all, the final death toll was estimated at 2.49 billion killed from falling buildings, resultant chaos, or simply ceasing to exist.  
Wide scale destruction was no the only catastrophe that occurred on the Day of the Apocalypse. On a person-to-person basis, people were changed, forced into bodies that they could not control, nor did they want. Thankfully, this was a very small percentage of the remaining population, but it was truly unusual for a community to be free of any 'changed' members. Many times this change was anything but beneficial. Some children were changed into small construction reploids, barely possessed of an artificial intelligence. A few older people found themselves aged greatly, and kept alive only by the presence of nanoids in their systems. Young people found themselves with cybernetic modifications. Middle aged people became defense robots. Of course, this was not absolute. There was variance in all age groups, but those that this happened to were very few and far between. In fact, only a few thousand total were changed worldwide, with a mere handful being different from the archetypes.  
Their change, however, forever marked them as a symbol of the Apocalypse. Many people shunned and hated them, believing that those few changed individuals had caused the event. Lives were upended. Faced with a sudden hatred from those that they'd known and loved, many of the changed killed themselves within the first year of their new existence. It became common practice for a community to quietly celebrate the passing of a changed person, however horrible that might have seemed to them before the Apocalypse. Nobody cared. So many people were dead; what would a few more matter?  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma, in his girl form, stared at the still waters of the only spring in Jusenkyo that she could approach. She knew this spring, knew it intimately. This was the spring that had cursed her, that had changed her life. She hated this spring like nothing else, and yet it was the only one that she could even get near to, no matter what she did. Kneeling, she looked at the still waters more closely, making a decision.  
she wondered. A minute passed as she stared at the spring. Finally arriving at a decision, she pulled a water bottle from her pack and dropped it into the pool. Using a dead stick to pull on a cloth loop tied around the thing's neck, she submerged it to fill the bottle. Pulling it from the spring, she stared at it, finalizing her decision.  
I can't now, she thought as she screwed the top onto the bottle. Solemnly, she lifted the bottle by its cap and set it on a rock, so the water on the outside would dry. she wondered. Sighing, she dismissed it to the back of her mind and waited for her water bottle to dry.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Flashfyre5 Presents  
A Flaming Amarant production  
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota  
  
The Opening Bet  
Chapter One: Here's Ranma!  
  
  
" " = speech  
[ ] = panda board  
= thought  
/ / = written  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma trudged disconsolately beside her father. As some might think, this was not a result of her current form. No, quite the opposite there- she preferred being human to... her other form any day of the week, even if that meant that 'he' had to be a 'she'. Nor was it the fact that it was raining; she'd gotten used to that by her eighth birthday. No, it was the fact that her stupid father had decided that she needed to be engaged to one of the daughters of his friend. Despite the problems both his forms would cause in such an arrangement, the stupid old man refused to nullify the engagement without his friend's agreement.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
/Tendo- Bringing Ranma from China. Problem with engagement. We'll talk when I get there. -Saotome/  
Soun held the postcard, shaking in excitement. His eyes tearing, he could just barely make out the first line. Shoving it in his gi, he dashed towards the kitchen.  
"Kasumi," he shouted. The girl glanced up from the watermelon that she was slicing.  
"Yes, father?" she asked quietly.  
"Family meeting, right now," Sound said, then ran off upstairs.  
"Nabiki!" he called.  
"What's up, Dad?" she called back, from her room, where she was reading a manga on her bed. Soun stuck his head inside.  
"Family meeting, downstairs," he told her.  
"Should I get Akane?" Nabiki asked, rising from her bed.  
"Err... no, this doesn't concern her," Sound answered.  
"I thought that you said that this was a family meeting," Nabiki returned. "You've really got to stop doing this to her, Daddy. Ever since the Apocalypse you've been avoiding her like the plague. Why?"  
"Err..." Soun stammered. Nabiki tapped her foot, waiting impatiently. "Well... it's just that she looks so much like my dear Kimiko did just after they found the cancer." Realization dawning, Nabiki's face fell.  
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she apologized. "I didn't know. I'll go get Akane." Saying nothing more, she rose and exited the room, leaving her father to ponder the consequences of what he'd just said. Arriving at Akane's room, Nabiki knocked on the door softly. There was no response, by Nabiki was sure that she'd heard the creaking of bedsprings. "Akane, I know that you can hear me," she called through the door. "We've got a family meeting. You coming?" Akane said nothing, but Nabiki again heard the creaking of bedsprings. Silently, she cracked open the door and peered in. Akane was lying on the bed, asleep, her changed form making the bed creak despite the fact that both mattresses were box springs. Nabiki wondered again at the effects of the Apocalypse. It had changed so much in the world. Entire nations had been toppled, people had been changed, and people had been killed.  
Her sister had been a victim of the changes wrought by the apocalypse. During school, right in the middle of a speech that she'd been giving, she'd suddenly fallen to the ground in agony. The entire audience had been forced to watch as her body had twisted and grown into what it was today. She'd heard that several of the students had lost their lunches on the spot. Remembering her sister as she'd been before the Apocalypse, Nabiki smiled a brief, sweet smile. She'd changed so much since then, and not only in body.  
Her body, though, was truly something to marvel at. Made of some superstrong metal, and painted a beautiful shade of scarlet for the most part, her body was incredibly sleek. Akane's lower legs and ankles had been inflated to be as big and wide as her feet, which were about three times the proportions that they had been. They were trimmed with what Nabiki suspected was pure gold, but didn't test. She cared a little more about her family than that. Moving upwards, Nabiki trailed her finger after her gaze. Her sister's upper legs and upper arms were a solid black, as nondescript as if they were just normal legs covered in black tights. Her pelvic area was covered by a white guard with a small vent in the front. Her lower torso was covered in bands of silvery metal, while her chest area was armored in solid red. The only aberration was a white vent that jutted out at the juncture of her bust and chest. The bust itself was covered by a heavy, red breastplate, giving the appearance of a shirt, with two emerald orbs adorning the peaks. Akane's shoulders were covered by angular white shoulderguards, trimmed with red. Her lower arms and hands were changed in a similar fashion as her legs; from her elbows, her arms widened to about twice their previous size, and lined themselves in silver. Her hands were white, and it would've looked like she was wearing gloves, had it not been for the fact that her hands themselves were twice the size of any pair that Nabiki'd ever seen. Akane's hair was still long, but had been pulled back into a long ponytail that fell like an ebony river to her ankles. Nabiki smoothed her sister's hair, allowing herself a single rare moment of tenderness.  
Reaching over to the bedside stand, Nabiki picked up her sister's helmet. It was an angular work of art that, when Akane chose to wear it, made her look both incredibly dangerous and quite alluring. The helmet covered her cheeks and forehead, but arced away from both areas to give her eyes plenty of room and excellent prehipheral vision. Starting at the peak in her brow, the red part of the helm arced away and up, coming to a pair of points on each side before arcing gracefully back together and down the back of her head. The middle of the helm was white, and held a great, triangular sapphire over her brow. Akane was truly stunning when she wore it.  
Unfortunately, the change set her apart from the crowd. Her classmates, scared by her transformation, were repelled by the sight of Akane. Many of her former friends had grown distant from her as a result, and now the only people that would even talk to her were Yuka and Saryu, her best friends.  
Sighing, Nabiki put the helmet down and reached over to grab Akane by the shoulders. Gently, she shook her sister. Slowly, Akane opened her eyes and looked at her elder sister, hovering above her.  
"What is it, Nabiki?" she asked, rubbing the last of her sleep from her eyes. She didn't really need to, but it was a habit that she'd never been able to give up.  
"Family meeting, downstairs. Daddy says that you don't have to be there if you don't want to, but I think that you should come," Nabiki told her. Internally, Akane marveled at the way her sister had changed since the Apocalypse. Nabiki had become, at least to her family, a warm, kind, caring person who would go to any lengths to help out her little sister. On the other hand, she was still the Ice Queen of Furinkan High. Akane nodded, and Nabiki smiled one of her all-to-rare smiles and left.  
Left alone, Akane sighed, thinking of what this meeting would bring. As she rose, she wondered if whatever it was could possibly make things worse. Internally, she knew that she was no longer the person that she had been before the Apocalypse. She was no longer the center of attention- people avoided her, and whispered behind her back. Almost all her friends had deserted her. Too bad that Kuno hadn't followed suit. Within the space of a few days, Akane's entire world had fallen apart.  
Not even her martial arts, which she'd prided herself upon so much, were of any interest anymore. The Change, as she referred to it, had made her so fast, strong, and tough that nobody could even think of challenging her. She could break whole towers of cinderblocks and hardly notice it. She could beat, even kill, anyone that was dumb enough to challenge her, but she got no pleasure from it. Thus, she had withdrawn from her normal life. Usually, she stayed in her room, thinking, sleeping, or whatever she happened to choose at the moment.  
Akane arrived at the top of the stairs and glared down the wooden structure with thinly disguised loathing. She'd come to hate stairs. Taking in a breath, she put one foot forward and began her descent.  
  
*Thump*  
*Thump*  
Akane hated the thumping noise that her legs made on the stairs, but it couldn't be helped.  
*Thump*  
*Thump*  
*Thump  
After the Change, she found that she weighed over 140 kilos, nearly twice what she had been. Add to that that she was made entirely of metal, and there was nothing that she could do to stop the noise.   
*Thump*  
*Thump*  
*Thump*  
*Thump*  
It marked her, set her apart. People stared when she came down stairs, or went up them. She tried to smooth things over, but nobody cared. She had been touched during the Apocalypse; nobody trusted her.  
*Thump*  
*Thud*  
Akane breathed a sigh of relief as she finally stepped down onto the ground floor. Much more quietly now, she walked to the kitchen table, where everyone was already waiting. Without a word, she took a seat at the table, one which she hadn't used since the Apocalypse.  
"What did you call us here for, Father?" Kasumi asked once her sister had seated herself.  
"Well, a good friend of mine, whom I trained with, is finally returning from a ten-year training trip," Soun began. "He has a son, and they both will be coming here sometime today."  
"So?" Nabiki asked. "What does this have to do with us?"  
"I must remember to prepare the guest room," Kasumi noted aloud. Akane stayed silent. She was sure that her father didn't want to hear her opinion anyway. He'd barely spoken to her since she Changed.  
"Well," Soun said, sweating. "our families had an agreement to join our schools of martial arts. Thus, one of you two will be marrying him." A silence followed, as the three girls stared at their father in shock.  
"A fiancee?" Nabiki deadpanned.  
"Oh, my," Kasumi added. Akane just sat there, a thoughtful look on her face.  
"Yes, they should be here any moment!" Soun said triumphantly. They'd taken things much better than he'd expected.  
"Well, what's he like?" Nabiki asked.  
"Umm... I don't know," Soun answered.  
"You don't know?" Nabiki asked, incredulous.  
"I've never met him," Soun explained.  
"You said 'One of you two,'" Akane said quietly.  
"What?" Soun asked, confused.  
"You said that it was an agreement between the families, and then said that 'One of you two will be marrying him,'" Akane told her father. "You were referring to Nabiki and Kasumi. Does that mean that I'm not a part of the family?"  
"Huh? Umm... err..." Soun stammered, dumbfounded.  
"Of course you are, Akane," Kasumi reassured her.  
"Right," Nabiki agreed. "Say it, Daddy," she commanded. Silence ensued. "Daddy," she said, a menacing tone in her voice.  
"Wait, Nabiki. I want to hear what he has to say," Akane said. "Well, Dad, am I?"  
"Well... after all that you've been through, I don't think that you should be burdened with such a commitment, but the agreement was between the two families...," Soun hedged. Akane looked down, into her lap.  
"I see," she said quietly, then rose.  
"Akane, where are you going?" Nabiki asked, worried.  
"Just out to the dojo. I wouldn't want to intrude on the Tendo family's home," Akane answered, stepping out the shoji and onto the paved rock path the lead to the dojo.  
"Akane...," Kasumi said, reaching out to her sister. Without a word or a glance backward, Akane shut the shoji and walked to the dojo, wincing at every sound her feet made as they struck upon the stones of the pathway.  
"Real smooth, Daddy," Nabiki deadpanned. Soun looked appropriately ashamed. Suddenly, a sharp knock sounded from the front door, and Soun jumped up, excited.  
"That must be them!" he shouted, running to the door. "Saotome, my friend, I'm coming!"  
"I'll keep an eye on him," Nabiki told her sister, then got up and followed her father. Arriving at the door, Soun threw it open, expecting his best friend. That was not what he saw. Dominating the doorway was a giant panda and a short redheaded youth. Soun promptly turned and made what he would later claim was a 'strategic retreat.' In essence, he turned and ran. Nabiki, watching from the hallway, was unnerved but held her ground. She wasn't one to retreat lightly. she thought.  
"Great, Dad," said the youth in a distinctly feminine voice. "I might as well have just shown up in my other form too." The panda held up a sign reading, [It's not my fault!] The youth just shook his/her head. Nabiki wasn't sure yet, as he/she wore rather baggy clothing.  
"And you are?" Nabiki prompted the youth.  
"Oh!" he/she said, looking back down the hallway, seeing Nabiki for the first time. "I'm Ranma Saotome. Sorry 'bout this." Once again, Nabiki noted the rather feminine lilt of his/her voice, despite the male speech patterns.  
"You're a girl, aren't you?" Nabiki asked, placing her bet.  
"Umm... yeah, I guess so," Ranma said, looking down at herself.  
"Daddy sure knows how to pick 'em," Nabiki muttered. More loudly, she called, "Well, why don't you come in. I'm sure that Daddy'll straighten things right out." She looked backwards in the hall severely, to where Soun was cowering. "Won't you?" she said menacingly. Soun, overwhelmed on all sides, fainted.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Soun opened his eyes slowly, taking in the crisp afternoon air. His two eldest daughters hovered over him, and there was a damp cloth on his forehead.  
"Ahh, Nabiki, Kasumi," he said, sitting up. "I just had the oddest dream." At this point, Ranma walked out of the kitchen, carrying a steaming washbowl. Soun froze, staring at her. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" he asked.  
"Nope," Ranma said, setting the bowl down carefully. She was very careful not to slosh any of the hot liquid over the sides of the large bowl, even though it was only half full.  
"So, Daddy," Nabiki stated, a feral glean in her eye. Not the 'hunting' kind either, the 'I'm gonna kill you for this one' gleam. You know, the one you mom makes at you whenever you get bad grades. "We can't exactly be engaged to a girl, now can we?" she asked, her voice matching her glare.  
"Umm... no?" Soun replied, seeming to shrink in on himself.  
"And Ranma's definitely a girl, isn't she?" Nabiki asked, grabbing Ranma by the breast to demonstrate her point.  
"Hey!" Ranma exclaimed. "Stop it!" Hearing this, Nabiki released the girl, who backed away from the confrontation. Kasumi, sensing that this was one of those fights that shouldn't be broken up, joined her.  
"Err... yes," Soun agreed.  
"Then the engagement's off, isn't it, Daddy?" Nabiki asked, her eyes boring holes into her father.  
"I suppose so," he answered meekly, trying to find a path of escape. Apparently, that answer had been it, because Nabiki immediately backed away.  
"Good. I'm glad that that's settled," Nabiki said, calm once again. "Ranma," she said, looking around the room. It was decidedly devoid of redheads. "Umm, Kasumi, where's Ranma?" she asked her sister, who was standing nest to the shoji.  
"Oh, she asked to see the dojo," Kasumi answered brightly.  
"Umm... Kasumi, Akane's in there," Nabiki said.  
"Oh, my," Kasumi replied. "Oh... my..." she said after a second, remembering how people tended to react to Akane these days.  
"That's an understatement," Nabiki deadpanned, and prepared to deal with one scared, confused redhead who would probably be coming through that door any second now. Any second...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma sighed, sliding the door of the dojo open. She really didn't want to be around when her father told Mr. Tendo about Jusenkyo. That would involve a demonstration of the curses, and Ranma liked her cursed form better than her normal one. Not that she liked either; it was just a matter of being human to the alternative.  
Stepping inside, Ranma immediately noticed the figure curled up and crying in a corner of the dojo. It's back was turned to her, displaying a wild river of ebony hair, and huddled inside of a pale yellow blanket. The figure's sobs were soft, but it hurt Ranma in a place that she wasn't too experienced in handling- her sympathy. Quietly, she walked over to the figure and tentatively touched the side of its head. It swiveled, revealing a distinctly feminine face, streaked with tears.  
"Hey," Ranma said softly. "What's the matter? Whatever it is, I can promise you that I prolly got it worse off," she continued, in an effort to cheer up the girl. For some reason, as Ranma spoke, the girl hugged her blanket to herself more tightly.  
"Who are you?" the girl asked, distrustful.  
"Me? I'm Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Who're you?" Ranma answered.  
"I'm Akane Ten... Just Akane," the girl replied. "I used to be a martial artist, but I had to give it up."  
"Give up martial arts?" Ranma asked incredulously. "Why would you give up martial arts?" Akane visibly braced herself before replying.  
"I was Changed during the Apocalypse," she said, looking away.  
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked.  
"I was Changed. I'm too strong now; I might hurt someone," Akane said, her voice trembling.  
"Changed? Apocalypse? What are you talking about?" Ranma asked, bewildered. Exasperated, Akane stood up, faced her, and threw off the blanket, revealing her body. It gleamed in the faint afternoon light that shone through the dojo doorway. Seeing it, Ranma gasped in surprise.  
"Now do you understand?" Akane asked, her voice thick. This was how things always were; as soon as someone saw her, they hated her for what she represented. Trying to keep from crying, Akane spun away. Another potential friend lost. A moment of silence passed as Akane stared at the corner, fighting to repress her tears.  
"Have you ever been to a place called Jusenkyo?" Ranma suddenly asked.  
"Jusenkyo?" Akane asked, surprised. "Training ground of accursed springs? No, but my fath... Mr. Tendo's mentioned it before. Why?"  
"Then it wasn't the springs," she heard Ranma whisper to herself. More loudly, she asked, "How'd you get to look like you do?  
"I told you already," Akane said, a hint of her old temper beginning to show. "The Apocalypse. Where have you been the last few weeks?"  
"Training in China," Ranma answered flatly. "Don't get a lot of news out there. Ya get even less when you're running for your life."  
"Oh," Akane said, slightly chagrined.  
"What happened?" Ranma asked, motioning for Akane to sit. She complied, and Ranma followed suit.  
"It happened almost two weeks ago, now. About one in the afternoon. I was giving a speech for a school tournament. I was doing really well, too. Then, all of a sudden, I start to feel funny," Akane said.  
"Kinda like something in your stomach was tryin to get out?" Ranma asked.  
"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Akane replied.  
"I'll explain later," Ranma reassured her.  
"Oh well. In any case, I just kept going. This jerk had just given a speech that said that anyone who wanted to date me had to beat me. I figured that if I won, nobody'd pay attention to him. Well, it just kept getting worse, until it hurt so bad that I collapsed. Next thing I know, I'm in this body, and it's a good hour later," Akane told her. "The Apocalypse had a lot of other effects too. A lot of buildings collapsed, and lots of people died."  
"How many?" Ranma asked.  
"I don't know. They're still counting bodies. Last I heard, though, they'd reached the two billion mark," Akane said.  
"By all the Gods," Ranma breathed.  
"Yeah," Akane agreed. The two sat together quietly for a few minutes, thinking. "So," Akane finally said, "Why did you ask that question?"  
"Huh?" Ranma returned.  
"You know, the one where I asked you why you wanted to know how I felt during the Change and you said that you'd explain later," Akane explained. "Well, it's later."  
"I guess so," Ranma agreed. "Well, I guess that I was sparring with my Pop at Jusenkyo when the Apocalypse happened. Hmm... two weeks ago... yeah, that'd be just about right. In any case, I ended up in a spring, and my normal form got messed up. In any case, I just stay in my cursed form as much as I can these days. It's a damn sight easier than you'd think," Ranma told her.  
"Curse?" Akane asked. "You mean that magic really exists?"  
"Oh, yeah. I still gotta explain Jusenkyo to you," Ranma remembered. "Okay, it's this training field with about a hundred or so springs in it and a bunch of bamboo poles sticking straight out of each of the springs. You fight by hopping from one pole to another, and hitting the other guy in midair. If ya get knocked into a spring, you get stuck with the body of whatever last drowned there. Hot water turns you back to your normal body, but cold water activates the curse."  
"What spring did you fall in?" Akane asked.  
"Drowned Girl," Ranma said bluntly.  
"Then..." Akane mused.  
"Yep, this is my cursed form," Ranma confirmed her unasked question. "My normal form got... uhh... what did you call it?"  
"Changed?" Akane supplied hopefully. she thought hopefully.  
"Yeah, that's it," Ranma confirmed. "Anyway, I change back to normal with warm water. Well, if you can call having a big, blue hunk of metal for a body normal..." This comment caused Akane to smile in a mixture of sympathy and amusement.  
"Can..." she started. A part of Akane berated herself for believing Ranma's crazy story. "Can you show it to me?" she finally asked, blushing. She looked down at her lap, somewhat embarrassed, but not quite sure why.  
"Sure," Ranma agreed after a minute. "Lemme go get some hot water," she said, then left the dojo. Akane waited alone for a few minutes, wondering if Ranma would come back, if the girl had just pulled her leg as a sick joke, if maybe, just maybe, she'd get a friend that would actually understand what the Change had done to her. All in all, she worried. Finally, Ranma reentered the dojo, carrying a steaming teakettle and a glass of ice water.  
"Sorry," she explained, "Your sister had this on the stove, so I had ta put a new one on before I left."  
"It's okay," Akane said. "I'm sure that Kasumi won't mind. Now show me your other form," she commanded. Suddenly, she noticed that Ranma had figured out that she was Kasumi's sister, and therefore Soun's daughter. She hadn't said anything too obvious to clue her in; Akane's estimation of the girl went up a notch. Akane's musing, though, was immediately halted when Ranma began to disrobe. "Umm... Ranma? What are you doing?" she asked.  
"I gotta strip if I wanna change," Ranma explained, tossing her red silk shirt to the floor of the dojo. "I get a lot bigger; my clothes'll rip if I'm not careful."  
"Oh," Akane said quietly. Ranma released the tie on her black worker's pants, and tossed them with her shirt. Clad only in boxers, Akane could see that Ranma was blushing from head to toe. Literally. She wondered why; they were both girls, weren't they? Her mental question went unanswered as Ranma upended the teakettle over her head.  
The most immediately noticeable thing about the change was the color blue. There was lots of it. In fact, the only parts of her ( Akane noted) that weren't one shade of blue or another were her hands, her face, and a gem that was set into her helmet. Further observation revealed a distinct lack of anything that might pass as breasts, and a distinctly more masculine facial structure.  
"You were a guy, weren't you?" Akane asked.  
"Before Jusenkyo? Yeah," Ranma confirmed. Her suspicions confirmed, Akane continued to examine Ranma's other body, mentally comparing it to her own.  
As for overall construction, where Akane represented a earthy, fiery element wither her bodily decoration, wildly long hair, and machined edges, Ranma was definitely trended towards water and/or air. Though his boots were essentially the same as her own, Akane noticed that the lines were somewhat less pronounced, more rounded, and without decoration. The only exceptions were twin metal discs on each of his legs. His upper legs were done in the exact same fashion as her own, save that his were dark blue, rather than black. His pelvic guard was rounded on all sides, and without vents. In other words, it was so featureless that the eye tended to gloss over it as it traveled the body. His abdomen was seemingly bare, blue skin, even showing a 'six-pack' of abs that were most likely his internal micro fusion generator. Ranma's upper torso was armored with a sleek blue breastplate, with a thick band of light blue metal that started where each of his nipples might have been had he been human and wrapped around his back. Looking carefully, Akane noted that each had a line near the arm area, as if they could be removed.  
His arms themselves were much like the rest of him: unremarkable. His upper arms were the same dark blue as his abs and upper legs, and his lower arms were simply egg-shaped constructs, sheared off at one end for his arm and at the other for his hand. His hands were stark white, just like hers. His face was hard, chiseled out of alabaster, but with a seeming mobility of emotion that belied this. His helmet was blue, and came from his brow to cover his ears and the back of his head. There was a lighter blue raising along the middle of it, and a large, beautiful ruby. The gem was incorporated into the helmet so as to seem to be the logical conclusion of the raised area of the helmet. A few small circles were etched into his helmet, but they didn't seem to be important.  
"I aint as impressive as you," he conceded, "but it's what I'm stuck with."  
"Looks aren't as important as function," Akane countered.  
"I guess so," Ranma agreed, his hand rubbing the backside of his helmet.  
"Hey," Akane said, remembering something. "Do you do martial arts?"  
"Yeah. 'S why my Pop took me on the training trip," Ranma replied.  
"You want to have a little match? I can't fight normal people, but I think that we should be pretty safe from one another like this," Akane proposed. Ranma, hearing this, smiled.  
"That'd be great," he agreed. "I'm ready when you are."  
"Then... let's go!" Akane cried, rushing at the blue robot. Her first attack, a straightforward punch meant to test his defenses, never connected. Ducking agilely, Ranma spun away from the fist and its thrower. Undaunted, Akane lashed out with her heavy leg, and nicked him on the shoulder. A sharp rapport rang out, and Ranma faded backwards, avoiding Akane's follow-up kick.  
"You're pretty good," he said.  
"I got a lot better from the Change," she admitted, charging forward once again. This time, instead of dodging, Ranma blocked her attacks and even launched a few of his own. "You're pretty good yourself," she added after a few seconds of close combat with him. The sound of metal crashing against metal rang through the dojo as the two combatants hammered at each other's defenses. This went on for a short while, Akane enjoying the first true test of her martial skills in two weeks, and Ranma just plain enjoying the fight.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Nabiki drummed her fingers, still waiting for Ranma to reenter the house. Kasumi was off in the kitchen, getting beer for her father and some old friend of his that had suddenly popped up. She didn't know the visitor, and wouldn't have cared if she did. Idly, she noted the sound of clashing metal, but dismissed it as the sound of her sister getting ready for dinner. Daddy's guest, who was currently playing shogi with him, seemed considerably more alarmed at the sound.  
"Tendo," he asked after a short pause, "did you hear that?"  
"It's just Kasumi making dinner," Nabiki's father replied, moving a shogi piece. "Don't worry about it. Now, what was this problem with Ranma, aside from the fact that your 'son' turned out to be a girl?" Nabiki took a sudden interest in the conversation- she could smell when something sensitive was about to be discussed, and her father's friend was displaying all the signs.  
"Well, Tendo, it all starts at Jusenkyo," he began. Suddenly, the sound of metal clashing against metal rang out again, and the overweight man went silent. It was soon followed by more sounds of a similar nature. "Soun, I certainly hope that that is not your eldest daughter," he said quietly. Nabiki herself was beginning to wonder. Especially so once she determined that the sounds were coming from the direction of the dojo. Nodding to herself, she quietly got up and padded out of the room. Silently, her father and his friend followed. Kasumi, carrying a tray laden with two mugs of beer, saw them leaving and decided to follow them.  
As she approached the dojo, Nabiki noted that the noise level was growing, as was the frequency. Worried, she jogged the rest of the way to the dojo and slid the door open. Inside, she was Akane facing off against a blue robot, who was obviously giving her a run for her money.  
"Akane!" she cried, worried for her sister.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Akane was giving her all to her opponent. Her speed augmented from the Change, she found that she could just barely keep up with Ranma, and she had greater strength, reach, and toughness than he could ever hope to. All in all, she was able to hit him sometimes, and those blows were telling on him, but his little bee-sting hammering was finally beginning to wear on her too.  
Suddenly, she heard Nabiki call, "Akane" from the doorway of the dojo. Instinctually, she looked to her older sister. Nabiki's face was a mix of respect, worry, and just a hint of fear.  
Akane cursed mentally as Ranma cried, "An opening!" Helpless, she felt a heavy fist strike her in the gut, a heavy hit on one of the few areas in her armor which she had minimal protection. Suddenly, his hand disappeared, and Akane found herself knowing what would come next. Time seemed to crawl as she spun her head back to face Ranma, even as the whine of his plasma cannon built. Just as she was able to come face-to-face with her attacker, his cannon fired a blast of plasma carefully calculated to end the fight without seriously hurting Akane. Ranma's triumph was written clearly on his face.  
Propelled backwards by the blast, Akane grabbed frantically around, and latched onto Ranma's arm. Her momentum was enough that Ranma was brought along for the ride as she flew backwards. Holding his arm tightly with both hands, Akane pieced together a hasty, all-or-nothing plan. As her back impacted the dojo floor, she allowed herself to skid, instead bunching her legs between herself and Ranma. He immediately knew that she planned a counterattack, and squirmed wildly, trying to escape. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't touched down yet, and had no leverage.  
Knowing that she was out of time, Akane shoved upwards and outwards with her legs, catching Ranma right in the chest. The force of her kick propelled him upwards, and would easily be enough to send him across the dojo. However, this was not Akane's plan. Just as Akane's legs reached the farthest point that she could extend them to, she fired her built-in dash jets. Twin gouts of blue flame flared out, striking with more force than heat. The additional jolt of propellant jerked her legs back up to her chest and sent Ranma through the opposite wall of the dojo. He flew for some time, as Akane elated in her victory. Suddenly, she realized where he was going to land.  
"Ranma!" she shouted. "The koi pond!" However, it was far too late for Ranma to adjust his flight path. He splashed into the pond with a loud *whoosh*, and all was silent for a split second, as the water sloshed in the pond. Then, a redheaded girl burst from the water. Kasumi, Soun, Nabiki, and Soun's friend stood around the pond, only Soun's friend looking unsurprised.  
"Umm... hehe...," Ranma-chan stuttered, grabbing her pigtail. Akane suddenly realized what Ranma had been doing earlier when he'd grabbed the back of his helmet.. "Sorry 'bout all this."  
  
* * * * * *   
  
Flashfyre5 Presents  
A Flaming Amarant production  
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota  
  
The Opening Bet  
Chapter Two: The Divine Wind  
  
  
" " = speech  
[ ] = panda board  
= thought  
/ / = written  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"I am Genma Saotome," stated the overweight man that had joined Soun. He was seated at the kitchen table, with Ranma sitting on his left, Soun around the corner on his right, and the three Tendo girls sitting across from him.  
"And I'm Ranma, his son," Ranma added.  
"Son?" Nabiki asked, eyeing 'his' figure.  
"I was born a guy. Don't push it," Ranma warned in return, giving the middle Tendo an evil look.  
"So why are you a woman now?" Nabiki asked flatly, obviously hot believing Ranma.  
"Well, my idiot father here decided to take me to a training ground with a bunch of cursed springs. I kinda sorta fell into one," Ranma explained.  
"Aah, Jusenkyo. Until now, I'd never truly comprehended it's horrors," Soun said solemnly.  
"Truly, it was exactly as the Master described it," Genma added sagely. Ranma struck a disbelieving expression.  
"You mean," he said, turning to his father, "That you knew about Jusenkyo before we got there?"  
"Well, I'd, err, heard of it in passing...," Genma stammered. Ranma was struck dumb for a second. Fortunately, this second was seized upon.  
"Mr. Saotome, how could you?" Kasumi asked harshly, a look that might have been anger on her face.  
"Taking your son to a cursed training ground when you KNEW that it was cursed?" Nabiki practically screamed. Quietly, Ranma stood up and walked to the kitchen. Nobody except for Akane noticed, and she said nothing. Meanwhile, Genma was sheepishly nodding, and looking for some cold water, so he could trigger his curse. "You engage your son before he's even born, drag him across China, then give him a curse when you know the consequences? Just how dumb are you?!" Nabiki continued.  
"Too stupid to live," a quiet, feminine voice said from the direction of the kitchen. Everyone turned to see Ranma, standing in ht kitchen doorway, holding the kettle of steaming water that she's put on earlier. Genma, seeing this combination and knowing exactly what it meant, began to desperately back away.  
"Now, Ranma, let's be reasonable here," he urged desperately.  
"Reasonable?" Ranma asked, advancing upon her father. "Was it reasonable for you to take me away from my mother when I was five? Was it reasonable for you to put me through the Goddamned Cat-fist? Was it reasonable for you to get me cursed? No, Pop, we left reasonable when we left Momma," Ranma growled, raising the kettle as she spoke. Nabiki, having heard about the springs from her father and having seen the blue robot from earlier, put two and two together and, as was usual for her, came up with four.  
"Ranma, the others didn't see you long enough to know, but I saw your other form. Don't do this; you'll kill him!" Nabiki pleaded, knowing what kind of power her sister had. This young girl, in her other form, had fought Akane to a standstill.  
"Give me one good reason why not!" Ranma demanded, her knuckles whitening on the handle of the kettle.  
"Where would you go if you did?" Nabiki asked. "If you kill him, everyone will know about you, in both forms. You'd be hunted for the rest of your life, never knowing a home or a family. Do you want that?"  
"No," Ranma said quietly, "but that's the life that I get. I can't even go home to my mother now; my stupid Pop just told me that I signed a contract with her when I was a kid. If I'm not a 'man among men,' then I have to commit seppuku. No matter which form I'm in, I'm screwed. Soon as this engagement is dissolved, we'll get kicked out and keep on wandering till one or both of us die. Life aint fair, and it really aint fair to me."  
"What if you had a home?" Akane suddenly spoke up. "Somewhere you could stay as long as you liked, with people who care about you?"  
"Maybe then. Too bad my Pop screwed that up for me," Ranma snarled.  
"Daddy! Let Ranma and his father stay here until they want to leave," Akane suggested. "We were going to do the same thing for the engagement anyway, weren't we?"  
"We were," Soun mused, looking worriedly at his best friend. "Ranma, I'll make you a deal. If you leave Genma be, I'll put you both up indefinately." This, unsurprisingly, shocked Ranma, who lowered the kettle ever so slightly.  
"As long as I want?" Ranma queried, a shadow of hope on his face.  
"As long as you want, providing that Genma is forgiven whatever crime that you're so angry about," Soun declared. Inwardly, Nabiki smiled, just a little. Yes, indeed, this was her father. Ranma, meanwhile, was warring between the desire to kill his father and some unknown longing that he'd had for as long as he could remember. His Pop had called it homesickness, and a weakness, but it had never left Ranma, no matter how much he tried to squash it.  
"Deal," Ranma finally said, dropping the kettle. Everyone, especially Genma, breathed a sigh of relief at his decision. "Don't think you're off the hook yet, Pop," Ranma growled. "You might've just gotten away with Jusenkyo, but You've got a lot to answer for otherwise." With that, he dropped the kettle to the floor with a loud *clang*, and stalked outside. After a minute, Akane followed him. Kasumi, sensing that the conflict was over, went back to her kitchen to begin preparations for a late dinner.  
"Well, now that that crisis is over, I can get onto the taxes," Nabiki grumbled, rising. She turned and jogged up the stairs, hoping to finish the organizing that she had to do before she could start. Soun, at Genma's silent gesture, kept silent until his daughters had left.  
"Are you sure about what Ranma said?" Soun asked. "I'm not quite sure as to what she could do to hurt someone like you, but you seemed so afraid. Why?"  
"Her other form is Changed. Unlike my ignorant daughter, I paid attention to the news when we got home. I know what he can do when he's a robot, and I'm not anxious to have it done to me," Genma explained. "Anyway, Jusenkyo was the only incident where I knew what I was getting myself into, so Ranma'll just fight a bit harder in our sparring sessions. A few bruises, nothing more."  
"Aaah," Soun said, understanding. "So that was the blue blur from earlier."  
"Going into the pond? Yes, that was her. In any case, I think that it's agreed that forcing the engagement now would be rather counterproductive," Genma said.  
"It is," Soun agreed, tearing up. "Now the schools will never be joined! Waaaahhh!!" he wailed.  
"Calm down, Tendo," Genma commanded. "We may not be able to force the engagement this generation, but there's always the next." Suddenly, Soun cleared up, hope dawning in his eyes. "Sooner or later, Ranma will have to accept that she's a woman, in every way, and take the necessary steps," Genma continued. "We will have grandchildren, provided that you can get one of your daughters married and with child. Then, we transfer the engagement to the next generation. With any luck, we'll see the schools united by the time we die!"  
"What a spectacular plan!" Soun exclaimed. "I take it, then, that we should find fiancees for our respective daughters?"  
"Exactly," Genma agreed. "It's a foolproof plan!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Outside, Akane sneezed, and wondered who was talking about her. Sighing, she set that thought aside and continued to look around the Tendo compound, even though she'd already checked every place in and around it. Suddenly, a touch of inspiration hit her and she looked upward, at the Tendo roof. Positioning herself near it, she crouched, then leapt upwards with all her mechanized might. Though impressive, it was hardly enough to get her onto the roof. Thus, at the top of her jump, she fired her dash jets, propelling herself straight upwards with enough force for her to soar right over the edge of the house and land with relative lightness on the edge of the roof. Immediately, she noticed Ranma, who was staring at Akane as if she'd grown an extra head.  
"Umm... hi," Akane said, suddenly self-conscious.  
"What're you doing up here?" Ranma asked, sitting up.  
"Looking for you," Akane explained, walking over to Ranma as softly as she could. "What are you doing up here?"  
"Thinking," Ranma sighed, lying back down. Akane seated herself next to the redhead, looking up at the stars.  
"About what?" she finally asked.  
"Me. My Pop. My life," Ranma said, not looking at the robotic girl sitting next to her.  
"What do you mean?" Akane returned, lying down and gazing out at the same patch of sky as Ranma.  
"I dunno," Ranma answered. "Just... so much seems different now. I always thought that Pop was just really dumb, cuz he never read all the instructions. He did a lot of really dumb stuff, too. Now, I'm not sure how much he knew about and decided to go with anyway."  
"Oh," Akane said, after a pause. A moment of silence passed, as both looked at the stars, not knowing what to say.  
"I mean," Ranma finally continued, "everything we ever did was in the name of the Art. Ever since I can remember, we were going from place to place, doing all the training we could, learning how to perfect the Art. I guess it never really bothered me at the time, but I never really had a home, or a real friend." At Akane's shocked expression, he amended, "Well, sure, I knew people, and I even made friends with a few. Problem was, we always left after a week or two, so I never could really make any real friends." Akane mulled over this for a while, looking at Ranma instead of the stars. Ranma just stared upwards, thinking.  
"You have a home, now," Akane finally said, prompting Ranma to look over at her.  
"Only till your old man throws me out," Ranma countered.  
"No, he'll keep his word. Besides, I was going to ask Dad to let you stay, even if that whole thing with the teakettle hadn't happened," Akane stated.  
"Maybe," Ranma conceded, looking away. Another minute passed in silence, as Akane turned her gaze upwards again. "Lot of stars up there, aren't there?" Ranma finally said.  
"Yeah," Akane agreed.  
"Kinda makes you lonely, ya know? When I was on the road, I loved that stars. They were just about the only things that stayed the same, no matter where I went. They reminded me of Pop, always there and about as reachable as the moon. Now, what with Pop and all, it just feels empty, like one of the things that you count on every day suddenly isn't there anymore. You know, like you're all alone in the world," Ranma confessed.  
"Like you're without a friend," Akane said.  
"Yeah," Ranma agreed. Then, Akane rolled over to face Ranma, who turned her head to look at Akane.  
"I'm Akane. Want to be friends?" Akane asked, holding out her hand. Ranma smiled and took it, gratefulness in her eyes.  
"Friends. I haven't had one of those in a long time," Ranma said, a small smile dancing on her face.  
"Well, you do now," Akane said. Both smiling, they continued to watch the stars.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"School?" Ranma asked, confused. She was sitting in a tank top and boxer shorts, looking at her father as if he'd grown an extra head.  
"Yes, school," Genma confirmed. "We're going to be living here for a while, even if you aren't marrying any of the Tendo daughters, so I believe that you should start attending school again." he thought,   
"Whatever, Pop," Ranma gave in, sensing that her old man had something else that he wasn't telling her. "Where am I gonna go to school?"  
"At the same school as me and Nabiki," Akane said, sticking her head into the room. For once, she was wearing her helmet, and the sight of the young warrior girl captivated Ranma for a split second before he turned his attention back to the matter at hand.  
"Really? Cool!" Ranma said, grinning. Suddenly, she realized something. "I don't have any school supplies."  
"That's okay," Akane said. "You're in my class, so we can share for today. We'll get you some stuff after school." She looked up at the clock. "Uh-oh! We're gonna be late!" With that, Akane ran from the room and charged out of the house.  
"Okay," Ranma agreed, rising. She grabbed her favorite Chinese shirt, a red silk one with real gold clasps, and a pair of black cotton pants that were a bit large for her frame as it was. However, they had to be this big, just in case she got accidentally splashed by hot water. Dressing quickly, she made her way downstairs. Grabbing a pork bun and a bento left on the kitchen counter for her, she dashed out the front door. Using her fast, lithe body to her advantage, Ranma was soon able to catch up to Akane, and hopped up on top of the fence next to her, matching her stride for stride.  
"Why are you up there?" Akane asked, turning a corner. Ranma followed suit.  
"It's great balance practice," Ranma said between breaths. "You should try it sometime."  
"My feet are just a little too big, don't you think?" Akane teased.  
"Maybe," Ranma replied seriously. "Maybe not." They continued on in silence for a bit, Ranma eating her pork bun, until the school came into view.  
"Hate Kuno, hate Kuno, hate Kuno, hate Kuno," Akane chanted under her breath as they drew nearer to the building. Reaching over her left shoulder, she withdrew a cylinder from a holding place on her back.  
"Huh?" Ranma asked as her chanting grew loud enough for her to hear. However, Ranma never got her answer, as Akane charged through the front gates of Furinkan Senior High. Inside, a robot stood, waiting for Akane. He was tall, almost six feet, and silver from head to toe. Fluid of design, as if he were one great mirror, stretched and contorted into a humanoid, he stood tall and proud, a long katana blade sprouting from his right wrist. Lining the edges of his various parts were bands of gold, shining in the morning sun. From his back grew two great, silver wings, articulated like a birds. He wore an ornate helmet and had the look of a nobleman on his face. Ranma decided to stand back and watch from the school wall.  
"Aaah, the fair Akane Tendo, I greet thee this morn," he said to Akane, who was standing across from him, the cylinder held like the hilt of a katana.  
"Just get it over with, Kuno," Akane said, her tone obviously disgusted. Ranma decided to jump down and investigate.  
"Hey, who's this bozo?" Ranma asked Akane, standing behind her.  
Before Akane could speak, the other robot jumped in. "I, fair maiden, am the high champion of the high school Kendo club. Foes tremble at the sight of me, for I am Tatewaki Kuno, the Divine Wind of Furinkan High! You may adress me as the noble Sword Angel, however, good maiden."  
"Sword Angel?" one of Nabiki's friends said,  
"That's a new one on me," admitted the infamous moneymaker herself.  
"Is this guy for real?" Ranma asked incredulously.  
"Unfortunately, yes," Akane said. "He decided that the only way that I, in my 'maidenly virtue,' would let him date me would be for him to beat me."  
"He can't can he?" Ranma asked, noticing the gathering rain clouds.  
"Nope," Akane replied, a small grin on her face. Suddenly, the cylinder in her hand spat out a blade of green energy, and Akane charged Kuno, attacking with the fury of a woman scorned. Kuno, for all his glorious Kendo titles, was hard-pressed to defend himself from the furious attacks of his 'love.' The two, in their fighting, slashed down a tree, and tore a wall to shreds. Finally, Akane ended the fight with a powerful side kick to Kuno's chest, which sent him sailing over the school wall and out of the established boudaries of the fight.  
"Well," Akane said, putting away her sword, which was now reduced to a mere hilt again. "Let's get to class."  
"All right," Ranma agreed, making a note to ask her about her sword later.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"This is Ranma Saotome," the teacher said, introducing Ranma, who fidgeted at the front of the class. "She and her father just returned from China. However, this does not excuse the fact that both you and Akane Tendo were late. Both of you, take the buckets and stand in the hall." Ranma sighed and grabbed a pair of buckets, which sat at the doorway. She noticed that Akane had risen from her seat, and was following suit. There was a judicious amount of whispering as the two walked out, but Akane just ignored it, her head hung. Soon, she joined Ranma in the hallway, holding a pair of buckets.  
"What was with all the whispering?" Ranma asked, shifting from one foot to the other.  
"They were gossiping at us. They said that someone else was a robot lover," Akane said, sighing.  
"Really? Who?" Ranma asked. Akane turned and stared at her companion, disbelieving. Ranma suddenly blushed.  
"They were talking about me, weren't they?" she asked, felling stupid.  
"Yeah," Akane confirmed. "I'm really sorry about this. I'd hoped to keep your reputation intact for longer than one period. Now it looks like you're stuck with me, Yuka, and Saryu."  
"Aaah, it's okay," Ranma said. "You're my friend. I don't really care what they think." At this, Akane relaxed, leaning back on the wall. Her bucket accidentally knocked against Ranma's and it sloshed over onto her. Unfortunately, the teacher had filled the buckets with lukewarm water, and it was enough to trigger Ranma's transformation.  
"Aww, man," he exclaimed, dismayed. "Do you know where the bathrooms are?" I gotta go find some cold water."  
"Yeah, they're down a floor and- Ranma, look out!" Akane yelled. Ranma turned and ducked to the side, just in time to avoid a vicious overhead slash from Kuno. A loud rip could be heard, and Ranma's shirt tore in half.  
"Who are you that talks so familiarly with Akane?" Kuno demanded.  
"Dammit, you ruined my favorite shirt!" Ranma exclaimed. A number of people were now leaning out of nearby classrooms, curious at this spectacle. "I'm err... uhh...," he said, noticing all the people around him and not wanting to blow his cover quite yet. "X! Yeah, that's it, X. In any case, I'm gonna beat the tar outta you for doing that."  
"X? Surely, that is the name of a knave. Good Akane, surely you do not deign to associate with such a base and dishonorable creature," Kuno stated haughtily.  
"All right, THAT'S IT!" Ranma shouted, and knocked Kuno out of the window with a powerful roundhouse kick. He followed, leaping out the window after his prey.  
"Ranma, this is the third floor!" Akane called after him, just as he discovered this fact for himself. Kuno, however, was unimpressed, and flew just out of Ranma's reach. Ranma himself fell like a rock, and landed with a loud *crash* right next to the pool.  
"Whew, that was close," he breathed, turning to face Kuno, who hovered at the third floor.  
"Foolish knave, you cannot hope to defeat me, for I am the Divine Wind of Furinkan High, Tatewaki Kuno!" Kuno declared, a bolt of lightning punctuating his statement. Ranma used the time to build up a charge in his arm cannon.  
"An' I'm X, the Blue Bomber of wherever the Hell I choose to be," Ranma made up on the fly, raising his arm to point at Kuno. With that, he retracted his hand and loosed a great bolt of plasma, which struck Kuno squarely on his left wing joint, shearing it off. Kuno fell to the ground unceremoniously. He rose slowly, badly unbalanced by the loss of his wing.  
"You shall pay for that," Kuno said softly, standing tall again.  
"Put it on my tab," Ranma sneered. Prevented from hurting his father, and still boiling from the panda's offenses, Ranma needed to vent badly. He had just found a target to vent upon, and vent he did. "You insulted my honor, and I'm gonna get you fer that. Besides, what kind of 'honorable' guy attacks a girl to get a date with her?" Ranma asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. By the time he'd stopped speaking, Kuno was trembling with rage.  
"I shall smite thee!" he screamed as loudly as he could, and charged at Ranma. Ranma flipped backwards, his boots catching Kuno in the jaw, stunning him. Ranma used the time to recover and back away some more, eyeing the keen edge of the katana with a bit of fear. He sensed that it was no ordinary metal, and would cut through his armor just as easily as it would flesh. Besides, he'd seen it shear down a tree in one slash earlier that morning. "You run from me, coward?!" Kuno taunted, hoping to get a rise out of Ranma. Ranma, with both his honor and courage insulted, could no longer contain himself.  
"Okay, now you die," Ranma stated, and charged forward, enraged. Kuno tried to get the katana up to block, but Ranma was too fast, and opened his assault with a vicious uppercut to the gut. Kuno felt his armor creak as it absorbed the blow, and his respect for his opponent went up a notch. Ranma followed his opening blow with a barrage of attacks to Kuno's torso, even as the silverclad boy tried to get his katana into a defensive position. He finally gave up on defense, and struck Ranma a nasty jab in the side of his stomach. Ranma winced, and grabbed the katana, holding it by the flat of the blade. With one swift, decisive move, he brought his hand down on the side of it, hard. It snapped cleanly, leaving Kuno defenseless as Ranma continued his assault. Ranma finally kicked Kuno hard, in the groin, sending him upwards a good foot. His arm cannon charged once again, Ranma unleashed a great burst of plasma into the robot at point blank range. It exploded upon contact with Kuno's chest, sending him far across the schoolyard, smoking the whole way. He landed with a loud *crash*, and did not rise.  
Ranma, yanking the remains of Kuno's sword from his belly, suddenly noticed the eerie silence that had descended upon the school, and looked around. From all three floors, people were staring at him, with expressions of awe, terror, and loathing on their faces.  
"He beat Kuno," someone said. Slowly, a murmur rose among the student populous as they discussed the implications of this.  
"Ranma!" Akane shouted, bursting out the school doors. "Are you all right?" she asked, running to his side.  
"Ranma?" One student from their class asked. "Wasn't she a girl?"  
"Yeah, and human too," agreed another.  
"Weird," stated a third. The other two nodded.  
"I'm just fine," Ranma said, clutching his side. Akane pried his had away from the wound and inspected it.  
"We're going to have to get you to a doctor. When you change back, this is going to bleed really badly," Akane decided. "C'mon, I know a doctor that lives right nearby." With that, she dragged Ranma from the school grounds.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Dr. Tofu! Dr. Tofu!" Akane called, entering the small clinic with Ranma in tow, who was now thinking that Akane had been right. The slash was right on the edge of his torso, and hurt like Hell.  
"Akane! I haven't seen you for a while," Tofu said, walking out of an examination room. "Who's your friend? I haven't seen a blue Reploid around here before."  
"Reploid?" Ranma asked.  
"That's what some scientist dubbed us," Akane said hurriedly. "We're not really robots, because we don't have to follow the Rules of Robotics."  
"Oh," Ranma said, not asking what the Rules of Robotics were.  
"Dr. Tofu, I need your help with Ranma here. He just got a nasty cut in his side from Kuno," Akane said to Tofu, who had waited patiently for them.  
"I'm a doctor, not a mechanic, Jim! Err... Akane," Tofu amended, looking sheepish.  
"Ranma turns back into a human with cold water," Akane explained, looking back at Ranma, who was clutching his side again. "I'm worried about what would happen when he gets splashed, so I brought him here."  
"Understandable," Tofu agreed, nodding. "Ranma, have you ever been to Jusenkyo?"  
"Yeah, that's why I can turn into a girl," Ranma confirmed. "Umm, Doc, I hate to hurry you, but could you do something about this already? It really hurts."  
"Oh, of course, Ranma. Please lay down on the bed in the examination room, and I'll be in to sew you up in a few minutes," Tofu instructed Ranma, walking to a nearby sink to wash up and get a glass of cold water. Setting it on a tray alongside a needle, some thread, and a packet of rub-in anesthetic, he walked into the room, with Akane following him. She took up a position at the side of the room. Dr. Tofu set the tray on a small table nearby Ranma, and went to a small refrigerator he kept nearby, and withdrew a pint of blood. "Just in case," Akane heard him mutter.  
"All right, Ranma, are you ready? I won't be able to apply the anesthetic until I've sewn you up," Tofu said, threading his needle.  
"I'm fine," Ranma confirmed, grasping the sides of the examination table.  
"Akane, would you wash up and come over here? I suspect that I'll need an extra pair of hands for this," Tofu told Akane, who complied. "Ranma, would you roll over on your side, please? I need to be able to work at the whole wound." Akane arrived, her hands wet from washing. "Akane, put your hands on either side of Ranma's wound, and push them together so that I can sew," Tofu commanded. "On the count of three, I'll splash Ranma," he continued, picking up the water so that he had the glass in one hand and the needle in the other. "One... two... three!" he said, pouring the water onto Ranma, who gasped in pain as he became human once more. Akane immediately began to push at Ranma's wound, staunching the bloodflow and allowing Tofu to sew. Ranma hissed just a little at each puncture of the needle, but did not complain otherwise. The seconds stretched into minutes, as Dr. Tofu closed off the wound bit by bit, moving with quick, expert motions. After two minutes and forty three seconds, Dr. Tofu tied a knot in his sixty-seventh suture and leaned back, wiping the sweat from his forehead.  
"There. That should do it," he said, setting the needle down. He picked up the anesthetic and rubbed it slowly and gently around the wound, which numbed quickly. Ranma sighed in relief at Tofu's ministrations. "And we only lost about three ounces of blood. Thank you, Akane, I would've had a real problem without you," Dr. Tofu said, relaxing.  
"Thank you, Dr. Tofu," Akane said, bowing. "Ranma might have died without you."  
"That's my job," Tofu said with a smile. "It's been a while since I worked E.R. It feels good to do that kind of thing every now and again. Now Ranma, I just want you to stay off your feet for a few days. I'll stop by later this evening with some anesthetic cream for your wound. For now, get outta here; I've got to clean up before someone comes in and thinks that I've killed someone," Tofu said with a chuckle. Ranma silently got up from the table and joined Akane as the two left for the Tendo home. Akane tried to start up a conversation a couple of times, but gave up when she realized that Ranma was too deeply in thought to reply. Most of the walk was spent in silence, as Ranma walked slowly beside Akane. When they arrived at the house, Ranma immediately went up to her bedroom, saying that she was tired, and wanted to sleep. Akane just wondered what was bothering him so much.  
  
* * * * * *  
***Later that evening***  
  
"Sasuke, have you found a man that can repair my august body yet?" Kuno asked from his bed, nearly immobile from the beating that he'd received from 'X' earlier that day.  
"I'm sorry, Master, but I've said before that nobody on the planet has the technology to repair a robot as advanced as you are," Sasuke said, his head bowed.  
"Bah! Leave me, fool!" Kuno commanded. Sasuke left, leaving the Kendo master alone in his room, where he'd been left by Sasuke earlier that day. "What shall I do now?" Kuno wondered quietly.  
"Nothing," said a mysterious voice, "Unless you'd like to talk to me."  
"Who are you?" Kuno asked. "Show yourself!" A shadowy form seperated itself from the wall and approached Kuno's bedside.  
"You wish to be repaired, so you can have a measure of revenge, do you?" the figure asked, its voice sneering and grating to the sound.  
"I do. Can you help me attain this goal? I assure you, you will be well compensated for your troubles, sir," Kuno said with a noble air. It was somewhat spoiled by the condition that he was in.  
"I can fix you, and I can make you so much better," the figure said. "But it does not come without a price."  
"I told you already, the Kuno family is quite well off. You will be paid in full, I assure you," Kuno repeated, nodding. That nod was just about the only thing that he could do at the moment.  
"I don't want your money. I want your assistance in regards to a few matters of importance to me. I assure you, you will not find them disagreeable, and you will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts," the figure stated, reaching down and tracing the lines of Kuno's shattered wings.  
"If that is your price, then I agree to the terms," Kuno nodded. The figure gathered Kuno's various parts and left quietly out the window, flying through the moonless night on silent jets.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma was silent that night at dinner, still deeply in thought. The conversation was essentially unaffected by his silence, and he didn't seem to care too much. Akane was a bit worried, and her worry grew as she noticed that Ranma wasn't eating anything.  
"Ranma," she said quietly, "Is anything wrong?" Ranma was silent for a minute before replying.  
"Nah, but I wanna meet you in the Dojo after dinner," she said. Akane nodded, not knowing what else to do. For the remainder of the meal, which she sat at out of courtesy to her family, a cold knot rested where her stomach would have been, had she been human. She was able to maintain her end of the conversation, which mainly lay between herself, Nabiki, and Kasumi. Soun didn't talk to her much, for some reason that she'd yet to uncover, and Genma was too busy eating. Finally, Ranma stood up.  
"Kasumi, I'm sorry that I didn't really eat tonight. I got a lot on my mind, so don't be mad," Ranma said.  
"Oh, that's fine, Ranma. If you want anything later, I'll be happy to fix something for you," she replied, smiling. Ranma wondered inwardly if she ever stopped smiling. Shaking her head, Ranma left out the door for the dojo, walking slowly, due to her injury.  
"Ranma wanted to talk to me in the dojo, so I'd better go too," Akane said to her family, leaving.  
"I wonder what's going on between those two," Nabiki wondered aloud. Kasumi nodded her agreement, then began to gather up dishes from around the table.  
Akane walked slowly into the dojo through the main door, which Ranma had left open. Ranma herself was standing in a corner, holding a big towel in one hand and a water bottle in another, which she was staring at intently.  
"You wanted to see me?" Akane said tentatively, walking up to Ranma.  
"When's your birthday?" Ranma asked suddenly, not looking up from the bottle.  
"Huh?" Akane responded, surprised.  
"When's your birthday?" Ranma repeated, lifting her gaze from the water bottle.  
"Umm... It's in a month or so. Why?" Akane replied.  
"You helped me out a lot today," Ranma said, changing the subject. "Kuno woulda cut me in half if you hadn't warned me, and I prolly woulda been in the hospital or worse if you hadn't helped me with that slash wound."  
"That's what friends are for," Akane returned, smiling.  
"Well, I wanna give you a present. It's kinda a thank you gift, and kinda an early birthday present. That okay?" Ranma asked.  
"Sure," Akane answered, a bit flustered.  
"Okay, but you gotta do what I say, all right?" Ranma said. Akane nodded, causing the other girl to smile. "Okay, wrap this towel around you like this," Ranma said, throwing the towel over Akane's shoulders and tugging it tight around her. Akane held it tight against her chest and waited. "Now, close your eyes," Ranma told her. Akane complied, shutting herself off from the world. A few seconds passed, as Akane wondered what was about to happen. Then, she felt a trickle of water sliding down her face and rolling over her hair. Suddenly, she froze. She FELT the water over he hair. She FELT the towel, wrapped around her shoulders. She FELT the cool wooden floor of the dojo beneath her feet. Slowly, with a trembling jaw, she opened her eyes and dared to look downward. The pink of her toes poked out from the cool cream of her feet, a sight that she'd not felt in what seemed like ages. She looked back up at Ranma, her jaw still trembling.  
"H-How?" she asked, amazed at the feeling of air rushing down her throat, having never before realized just how good it felt to breathe.  
"Nyanniichuan, straight from Jusenkyo," Ranma said, a note of forlornness in her voice. "Hot water'll turn you back into a robot, but cold'll fix that. Happy birthday." Akane, finding herself without words, just wrapped Ranma in her arms and sobbed for joy.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Flashfyre5 Presents  
A Flaming Amarant production  
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota  
  
The Opening Bet  
Chapter Three: Explosion! Ryoga Blasts Onto the Scene!  
  
  
" " = speech  
[ ] = panda board  
= thought  
/ / = written  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Akane pulled away from Ranma slowly, not quite sure how to feel. Ranma herself was blushing furiously, even though she looked happy for Akane. Somewhere in there, however, Akane could see the melancholy that had plagued Ranma all day. Suddenly, Akane remembered that she was naked and, contrary to appearances, Ranma was a boy. Blushing, she pulled away and hugged the towel to her body.  
"Thank you," Akane said quietly, looking in wonder at her toes. She'd honestly never expected to see them again. Also, it had the side effect of hiding her blush.  
"'What're friends for?'" Ranma quoted her, a small, happy smile on her face. Akane looked back up and returned the smile, then started to look around the dojo, being careful not to let Ranma see any of her 'bits and pieces.'  
"I know that Dad keeps a spare gi or two around here somewhere," Akane muttered, checking drawer after drawer.  
"Umm... Akane? I already found it," Ranma said, holding up one of Soun's spare gi. Akane got back up and walked over to Ranma. Holding the towel tightly with one hand, she snaked her other out to grab the clothing. She was about to ask Ranma to turn around so that she could change when a delightfully evil thought occurred to her.  
"Pervert," Akane suddenly said. "You just set this whole thing up so that you could see me naked." Ranma, shocked, facefaulted with a loud *crash* and lay there, twitching. Carefully, Akane prodded her with a foot. When she didn't move, Akane smiled to herself and dressed while Ranma was dead to the world. A few minutes later, Ranma regained her senses and sat up.  
"Pervert?!" she exclaimed. "If I was a pervert, why'd I give you the towel?"  
"I know that you're not," Akane said, smiling. "I just wanted to change while you weren't watching."  
"You coulda just asked me ta turn around," Ranma said sourly, looking away.  
"Yeah," agreed Akane, "but that wouldn't have been as much fun." Ranma looked back in surprise just as Akane gave her the red eye.  
"Ooooh, you're gonna get in now," Ranma said, her voice on the verge of laughter. Akane squealed and leapt out of the dojo, her feet slapping against the paving stones as she ran. The sensation felt delicious. She could hear Ranma's pursuing footfalls and laughter as she ran, but Akane didn't care. She turned a tight corner around the side of her house, now on the grass of the lawn, and hid about two inches out of sight. Just as Ranma turned the corner, Akane stuck her foot out. Ranma tripped on it and went tumbling to the ground, while Akane doubled back, her father's oversized gi flapping against her smaller frame. Suddenly, Akane remembered Ranma's injury, but Ranma just scrambled to her feet and followed, as if the wound didn't bother her at all. Putting on a burst of speed, Ranma closed the gap between herself and Akane quickly, then tackled the bigger girl to the ground.  
"Tease me, will ya?" Ranma said, her eyes gleaming. She pulled herself up to straddle Akane's body at the waist. The larger girl squirmed beneath her, but Ranma was just a bit too heavy for Akane to push off. With a mighty effort, Akane twisted underneath Ranma, putting herself face up. "Eat this!" Ranma cried, her hands darting downwards towards Akane's prone form. Akane saw the attack, but was too slow to stop it as Ranma snaked her hands beneath Akane's armpits. Akane clamped down her arms, trapping Ranma's hands, but it was already too late, as Ranma began to mercilessly tickle Akane where she had no defense. Squealing in laughter, Akane desperately squirmed underneath Ranma, trying to escape.  
"Umm, Ranma," Genma's voice suddenly intruded, ending their fun. Both girls turned to see Ranma's father standing on the porch, staring at them. "Who is this girl, and what on Earth are you doing?" he asked.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"How much for this rice again?" asked Asuka, a fairly average housewife. She cooked, cleaned, and cared for her husband and family, yet she got no recognition for it. Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered, and yet, every morning she got up and did the exact same thing.  
"That's 3000 yen," the street vendor said in regard to a large bag of rice that Asuka was trying to buy.  
"3000?" Asuka asked. "Surely that's too much, Hiro. I know for a fact that you sold a bag of the same size to Hitomi for almost half that."  
"I did no such thing," the street vendor defended himself. "The price is 3000, take it or leave it." Nodding, he looked away, down the street.  
"Please, sir, I only have 2500. Could you do me a favor just this once?" Asuka pleaded, hoping to appeal to his pity where shame had failed. He got a wide-eyed, frightened look in his eyes.  
"Look, lady, I'll sell for 2000 if you just get outta here," he said, his voice carrying a note of panic. Asuka smiled and ignored it.  
"That's much better," she agreed, handing over the money. He grabbed it and ran, taking his rice cart with him. Asuka smiled and hefted the big, fifty-kilo bag of rice and slung it over her shoulder. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. She turned slowly, suddenly remembering the panic in the street vendor's voice.  
Standing behind her was a metal behemoth. It stood well over eight feet tall, and was painted in earthy, brown tones. It had golden trim, and small ruby spheres embedded in its body. Instead of the head of a human, a great, shaggy boar's head erupted from the thing's shoulders. Its hands were ridiculously oversized, and it was obvious that one could easily crush a boulder with one. Or a human head. Attached to its back was a large backpack, which was connected by a snaking metal tube to a cylinder on the robot's right wrist. Its armor, from head to toe, was hard-edged, and shaped in various geometric shapes. It's eyes, a deep green in color, were cold and hardened by hatred. In one smooth motion, it bent down and drew a deep, long breath through its snout as it touched on Asuka's face. She was frozen with fear.  
"You smell traveled," the boar-robot rumbled in a deep, masculine voice. "Do you know where Tokyo is in relation to here?" Dumbly, Asuka nodded, not quite sure what else to do. "Where?" he asked, looking up.  
"Fifty miles," Asuka choked out, pointing her arm Southward. "That way."  
"Thank you," the boar-robot rumbled, following the direction of her pointing. With great strides, it set off in the direction that she pointed. "Now, Ranma, you will pay for the Hell you've put me through," Asuka heard him say to himself as he walked away. She didn't know anybody named Ranma, and was glad that she didn't. She had a sneaking suspicion that if she did, she wouldn't for very much longer. His strides ate up distance like a shark does fish.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Umm, Ranma," Genma's voice suddenly intruded, ending their fun. Both girls turned to see Ranma's father standing on the porch, staring at them. "Who is this girl, and what on Earth are you doing?" he asked.  
"Err..." Ranma stuttered, not sure how to answer.  
"I'm Akane," Akane cut in. "Ranma gave me some Nyanniichuan as a thank-you present," she explained, seeing the confusion on Genma's face. That confusion turned to grave understanding at Akane's confession.  
"I see...," he said, looking hard at Ranma. "You've decided to stay half-human for the rest of your life, then, Ranma?" he asked his son-turned-daughter. Ranma winced when her father said 'half human.'  
"Yeah," she replied, standing up off of Akane. "If it weren't for Akane, I prolly wouldn't be alive to use it anyway. 'Sides, she likes being a girl a lot more than I do."  
"That Nyannichuan was my greatest hope for the future of the School," Genma growled, shaking his fist. "Without it, the slightest bit of hot water could kill any child that you might one day carry." Ranma's face suddenly paled in remembrance.  
  
***Two weeks earlier***  
  
"Ranma," Genma said sagely, sitting across from his... child. "With your... condition, I have decided that I can no longer consider you the heir to the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts."  
WHAT?!" Ranma exploded, jumping up. "I trained my whole goddamn life, and you decide to take it all away 'cuz one of YOUR stupid training ideas backfired?!"  
"Training or no, I am the master of our School, and as far as the martial arts are concerned, my word is law!" Genma declared, rising to meet his daughter's height. "If you were merely a woman, I might consider it. Considering the fact that you are not even human half the time, it is absolutely out of the question. You may no longer practice martial arts, especially not the family school's." A dead, cold silence followed Genma's proclamation as the two glared at each other.  
"There's gotta be a deal," Ranma finally said. "You never do something like this without there being a deal to get out of it. What're the conditions this time?" Genma paused a minute before responding, more to provide effect than to actually consider what to say. He'd planned this out hours earlier.  
"There are a number of ways that you can regain your status as my heir," Genma started, drawing it out. He liked to have his... child's full attention. "First, you may replace your female side with a male one. You may also become fully a woman. I will train a half-man, but not a half-woman."  
"What if I can't?" Ranma asked, already thinking about Jusenkyo. Genma was silent again, this time actually thinking.  
"If you provide the family with an heir, I will allow you to practice the School, but not be the heir to it," Genma finally said. "You are a woman half the time. You have the 'equipment' to do it. In any case, until such a time as you've accomplished one of these three things, you may no longer practice martial arts of any kind, except in self-defense. As the patriarch of the Saotome clan, I deem this a matter of Giri." This final statement, that of Giri, or family honor, finally broke Ranma where starving cats, a lifetime of crime, a curse, and a grotesque bodily mutation failed to.  
For the first time in ten years, Ranma broke down and sobbed, the turned and ran from the camp. Genma wouldn't see her for three days.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma stared at the Nyanniichuan, the cursed pool reflecting his mechanical form back at him. This was the only pool, out of all one hundred and twenty-seven at Jusenkyo, that he could approach. Whenever he tried to get near any of the others, he'd encounter an invisible barrier about three feet away from the pools. All except for this one.  
His hopes of ever being a man again, even a half-man, were shattered by the Jusenkyo Guide. He'd told Ranma flatly that it was impossible for a newly cursed individual to approach any spring other than the one he or she'd been cursed by. Even if Ranma returned years later, there was no guarantee that the Nanniichuan would work at all, and there was a serious risk that the curses would mix instead of the new canceling the old. Even if the Spring of Drowned Man did work, it would wear off eventually, and Ranma knew that he'd never be able to afford more than one trip to China. Naturally, all this was considering that the spring could actually be found; the Guide had no idea which was which.  
Sighing, Ranma decided that he couldn't bear to become a woman full-time. As much as he hated it, his robotic body was male in design, and was somewhat of a comfort to him. Idly, he rubbed the first two fingers and thumb of his right hand together, knowing that they were in contact, but feeling nothing. It still felt odd to him. Finally, he stood up, resolved, and dug around in his backpack. Pulling out a water bottle, he dumped the contents on himself, changing to his female, and more importantly, human form. Grabbing a stick, she carefully dunked the bottle under the surface of the spring, filling it with the cursed waters of Jusenkyo, planning to save it for the day that she would have the nerve to use it.  
  
***Present***  
  
"You know the conditions of the deal, Ranma. You made your choice," Genma said in a sad, regretful tone. "I will go tell Soun. He'll be overjoyed." With that, Genma retired to the Tendo house.  
"What deal, Ranma?" Akane asked, looking at her friend. Ranma did not respond. "Ranma? What's wrong?"  
"The water I gave you," Ranma said quietly, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "Was my ticket to being able to be the heir to the Saotome School. Pop said that he would never train a half-human woman, and he made it a matter of Giri that I couldn't practice martial arts anymore, 'cept in self-defense. If I'd used it on myself, Pop woulda made me his heir again."  
"Ranma..." Akane breathed, suddenly understanding why Ranma had been so melancholy all day. "I'm so sorry. Maybe we can still get enough off the dojo floor..." she offered, hoping.  
"Nah," Ranma replied. "I knew all o' this when I gave you the water. It was my decision, and I'd do it again if I had the choice. Now go inside; your family's waiting to meet their human daughter again." Ranma smiled at her friend, then turned and started to walk away.  
"Ranma, where are you going?" Akane asked, worried.  
"I dunno," Ranma replied, not turning around. "I just wanna go clear my head. I'll see you tomorrow morning." With that, she hopped up and over the perimeter wall of the Tendo compound and disappeared from sight. Akane stood stock still in the courtyard for a moment before she turned and walked in her home. The subsequent celebration lasted until midnight, with food, music, and general happiness. Despite her enjoyment of being able to taste things again, and to hear music without having to interoperate it electronically, all evening Akane wondered where Ranma had gone.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma hopped down off the fence that she'd been strolling upon. She'd arrived at a bridge over the local canal, and decided to see what was underneath it. Swinging down, Ranma discovered that it was uninhabited, and devoid of graffiti. The underside was flat for a few feet before falling into the canal, while the far end of the bridge's foundation angled upwards, following the hill, to meet with the bridge itself. Ranma decided that she'd stay here a minute or two, for some reason that she couldn't pinpoint.  
Silently, she sat down, her back against the sloping hill of the concrete rise, and stared upwards at the cold asphalt of the bridge above her. Her thoughts were not on the bridge, though. They were on a certain black-haired girl named Akane Tendo. She remembered both of Akane's forms, and idly wondered which was better looking. They were so different, her face and wild, ankle-length hair being the only similarities between the two. Ranma thought. I always liked short hair on girls. Wonder why Akane's looks so damn good on her... She knew instinctually that someday, Akane'd make some guy really happy. And, as glad as she was to have a friend as good as Akane, it gnawed at her that she'd never be that guy. She'd never be a guy, period, which meant no martial arts.  
Slowly, a single tear slid down Ranma's face. It was soon joined by others, as Ranma began to cry softly. I aint a guy, Ranma thought as a dull ache grew in her belly. With that thought, Ranma finally broke down and started to sob. She sobbed, curled into a fetal ball, for hours as she thought about all the dreams and hopes she'd given away with that bottle of Nyanniichuan. Around one in the morning, she finally ran out of tears, self-pity, and misery. Slowly, she stood, her legs trembling.  
she finally thought, With that, she left the canal and returned to the Tendo house, to catch a quick five hours of sleep.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Akane lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. It was the first time in weeks that she actually needed sleep, but she just couldn't drift off to that particular place of thought that would allow her sleep. She was worried.  
"Ranma, where are you?" she wondered aloud, sighing. Almost as if summoned, Akane heard the front door of her home open, then close. Knowing that it must be Ranma, she got up and walked to her own door. As she opened it, she could hear soft footsteps ascending the stairs, so Akane walked over to the top of the stairwell. Just as she'd suspected, a tired and disheveled Ranma had just returned home.  
"Ranma, where have you been?" she asked, stepping down onto the top step. Ranma looked up, surprised.  
"Akane? What are you doing up this late?" Ranma returned, ignoring her question.  
"I couldn't sleep. I was worried about you," Akane answered, trying to see Ranma's face more clearly in the dim light of the stairwell. This statement caused the redheaded girl to smile, appreciating Akane's concern.  
"Thanks for your worry, but I just had to take care of a coupla things," Ranma said, her trademark smirk appearing on her face. It also altered her face's positioning just enough for Akane to see something that surprised her.  
"Ranma, you've been crying!" Akane exclaimed softly. She descended the two steps separating them. "What's wrong?"  
"It's okay, really," Ranma waved her off, embarrassed.  
"Ranma," Akane said, her tone serious. "What's bothering you?" Ranma searched for a quick lie, but then discarded the idea; she knew perfectly well that she had a horrible poker face.  
"You know how if you have a really good cry, then everything seems better?" Ranma asked.  
"Yeah," Akane said, looking a little thoughtful.  
"It's kinda like that," Ranma explained, edging around Akane and continuing up the stairs.  
"Does it hurt that badly to talk about it?" Akane asked softly. Ranma froze, one of her feet on the upper level, the other on the last step.  
"Yeah, it does," Ranma answered. "It's why I hate Pop so much, it's why I gave you the damn water, it's why I can't even go to my real home!" Ranma ranted, her newfound peace of mind deserting her. "It hurts so damn much that I can barely get outta bed each morning, just knowing that everything I ever wanted, ever dreamed for aint never gonna happen!" Ranma continued, turning around to face Akane. "Look at me! I'm a man who got turned into a robot that's cursed to turn into a girl! People are afraid of my robot half and try to hit on my girl half! All I ever wanted was to teach in a dojo somewhere, but now I can't even practice martial arts cuz of my stupid Pop!" Ranma shouted. Akane could hear the sounds of people rousing in their rooms, but didn't even try to stop her friend. A short silence fell between the two as Ranma looked imploringly into Akane's eyes. "Look at me," she said softly, barely above a whisper. "All of my dreams are gone, shattered. Everything I ever wanted is outta my reach. Maybe I can make a new life for myself. Maybe. Right now, I don't really care." After that, Ranma's shoulders sagged, as if she were exhausted. Without another word, Ranma turned and walked the rest of the way to her room, then shut the door. Akane, shocked, simply stood on the stairwell, hurting for her friend.  
"Geez," Nabiki muttered, sticking her head out of her bedroom door. "I wonder what that was all about."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Akane sat at the breakfast table the next morning, poking halfheartedly at her rice. She'd gotten little sleep last night, thanks to Ranma, and was, for the first time in two weeks, feeling sleepy. She hadn't needed to sleep when she was a robot full time. She had slept, but she didn't have to. Hearing soft footsteps on the floor mats, Akane looked up at the dining room door. Sure enough, Ranma walked through, clutching her side.  
"Mornin', Akane," Ranma greeted her. "Doc Tofu said something about anesthetic...," she trailed off as Akane held up a small packet of the rub-in painkiller that Dr. Tofu had left them with after Ranma had left on her 'walk.' Ranma took the packet, grinning wryly, and walked off to the bathroom to apply the cream. Satisfied that her friend was all right, Akane began to eat her breakfast with gusto, savoring the intricate tastes of Kasumi's cooking. I never really appreciated this stuff until I couldn't have it anymore, she thought to herself.   
Soon, Ranma re-entered the room, looking much better. Obviously hungry, the redhead practically dove into her first bowl of rice, pausing only long enough to put an egg into the bowl and mix it in. The two finished their first bowls of rice at about the same time. Akane, scooping the last few grains into her mouth, looked at Ranma over the rim of her bowl. Ranma did the same, and the two broke out grinning. Akane grabbed the handle of the rice ladle and quickly refilled her bowl. Ranma did the same, and an impromptu eating contest began. Though Akane had to stop halfway through her second bowl, Ranma continued on through four, packing away enough food for three normal people.  
"How can you do that?" Akane asked, rising from the table and grabbing her bento.  
"Do what?" Ranma asked, grabbing her own bento and bookbag. Unconsciously, she was rubbing the silk of her shirt above where her wound was.  
"Eat that much. If I ate like that, I'd have no figure at all," Akane explained. Then she stopped for a second at the front door, a small smile spreading across her face.  
"Well, I do work out a lot and... Why you stopping?" Ranma asked, stalled behind Akane.  
"I just realized that I have to watch my figure again," Akane said, looking backwards. "Thank you, Ranma."  
"Umm... it's okay," Ranma replied, blushing. "C'mon, let's get to school before we're late." Akane nodded and continued out the door, with Ranma following her. Suddenly, Nabiki ran past them both.  
"Arrgh!! How could I be late?!" she cried as she passed the two. Akane giggled a bit, while Ranma only smiled. Once they reached the sidewalk, Ranma hopped up atop the fence and kept pace with Akane.  
"Ranma?" Akane started, uncertain.  
"Yeah?" Ranma returned.  
"About last night...," Akane probed, looking for answers. Ranma's face immediately went hard, and she stared straight ahead.  
"I don't wanna talk about it," Ranma said softly. "Cuz if I don't talk about it, I can forget about it, and if I can forget about it, I can get on with my life."  
"Well, what am I supposed to think, Ranma? You come home in tears last night, and now you won't talk about it. What am I supposed to think, huh?" Akane asked, her worry growing anew.  
"All you have to think is that I'm a normal girl who turns into a robot when she gets splashed with warm water," Ranma said softly. Even as good as Ranma was at hiding pain, a little seeped into her voice.  
"Ranma...," Akane breathed. Hearing this, and knowing what would come next, Ranma shook her head and leapt onto a nearby rooftop, taking the direct route the rest of the way to school. "Let me be your friend," Akane finished to the still air, her voice soft. "It'll kill you if you keep it in." Silently, she continued her way to school, more worried than ever for her friend.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Kuno was not in school that day. This came as no surprise to anyone, because everyone had seen what the 'Blue Bomber' had done to the transformed kendoist. What nobody expected, however, was a notice that Kuno had transferred out of the school as a result of the fight. No forwarding address was given. The only person who actually cared was Nabiki, who simply sighed and marked off one of her sources of income. She didn't miss him too much, because the betting pool was running large on weather or not the 'Blue Bomber' would make a reappearance.  
All in all, nobody missed the slightly insane noble.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
A cloaked figure, standing tall and proud, marched down the metal-walled halls of his fortress with purpose. Built two hundred feet into the base of a Chinese mountain that he'd cleared of inhabitants, it was invisible to anybody who might have cared. As of yet, nobody did. Their problem, as far as he was concerned.  
He turned a corner, entering the former throne room of the great mountain palace. He'd left most of this room unchanged, having a keen eye for beauty. The monolithic statues of the phoenix people who had lived in the mountain stared down at him. He grinned, knowing that their stony glares were ineffective and worthless. He'd turned this room into a great workroom for an ally he'd gained in the taking of the mountain.  
"How's the angel faring?" he asked in a grating, metallic voice. It was supremely uncomfortable to listen to, and had scared many of the phoenix people into running. Well, that and his appearance. His 'grim reaper' look had terrified those who hadn't heard his voice. Scared one way, scared the other, he didn't care. He'd slaughtered them all. The happiest two days of work in his recent memory were the two he spent hauling the bodies out of the various people into their incinerator in the heart of their mountain.  
"Well, as far as repairs are concerned, he'll be fine. There's enough of his original superstructure intact for the drones to figure out what needs to go where. If it weren't for the upgrades you want on him, I'd just leave it to them," the beautifully built reploid that was the mysterious figure's assistant replied. He stood at five feet seven inches, and was plumed from head to toe in metallic feathers. They varied in color from red to yellow to blue. His head was a beautiful, streamlined bird's head, with his master's symbol painted upon it. His shoulders were thin, as were his arms. Jutting from his back was what seemed to be a pair of skeletal wings, fashioned in metal. They were currently folded against his back tightly. His torso emulated a bird's, with a great deal of bulk at the top, compared to very little at the bottom. His legs were long, and at the end of his swollen lower legs were sharp metal claws, designed to rip through the hardest metal. He looked regal, more than anything else.  
"Will you be able to upgrade him?" the mysterious figure asked.  
"Sure," the red reploid replied. "It'll just take a few days, that's all."  
"Good," the mysterious figure praised. The hood of his cloak fell back just a hair, and a bit of Caucasian skin became visible. His hand, a large gauntlet of blue and white metal, came up and pulled the hood back into place. The action revealed that the gauntlet was attached to a blue painted metal arm, which disappeared into the folds of the cloak. "Also, I have a new ally," he continued, turning so that he could call through the door. "Typhoon! Get in here!" he shouted.  
Through the great double doorway lumbered a huge Reploid. From the tip of it's nose to the point of his tail, he was almost twenty feet long. Standing on two big, sturdy legs, with his neck bent to seem somewhat humanoid, he stood at almost eight and a half feet. His head was a dark green, and built in the image of a feral reptile's, with metal scales allowing an incredible range of movement. Set in his forehead was a brilliant, diamond-shaped sapphire. His neck was long, and ridged. The ridges were a combination of dark blue and purple, while the neck itself was segmented, with each segment a little farther from the green of his head and a little more towards the dark blue of his ridges. His big, barrel-like chest was dark blue, trimmed with silver. His arms were big affairs, with each hand being easily a foot from palm to claw-tipped finger. On the back of each was a great throwing star, measuring a foot and a half from tip to tip. They were blue near his chest, but blended to silver through his scales. Coming from the base of his upper chest, a long, segmented tail began. Sprouting large, sturdy legs in it's first segment, it flowed in twelve segments of decreasing size and changing color. The top was the dark blue of Typhoon's torso, while the tip of his tail was brilliant violet. His legs, each as big as a tree trunk, were short and functional. They were blue, fading to silver, like his arms. Growing from his back were two gargantuan wings. The wingspan of the great things, when unfolded, was no less than thirty-five feet. They were blue at the base, but faded to a dark green towards the tips. He walked in great steps, his wings folded against his back, and his facial scales moving to allow a half-mouthed smirk.  
"Inferno Phoenix, meet Typhoon Dragon," their master said simply, gesturing to the two Reploids. "You two are the most powerful Reploids that I've been able to find so far, and I suspect that you will remain that way. You will work together as best you can until our goals are accomplished. Afterwards, I couldn't care less," the cloaked Reploid instructed the two. "I'm returning to Japan. I've noticed more power signals from there then anywhere else." With that, he turned and walked from the room, leaving the two mythically-themed Reploids alone.  
"Inferno Phoenix," Typhoon rumbled, his voice full and deep. It echoed as he spoke, as if it was bounced off of the walls of a cavern a number of times before reaching clear air. "You look delicate."  
"Compared to you? Probably. I can dodge most of what gives me trouble," Inferno returned sharply. "You look like brawn's the only thing that holds you up in a fight," he observed.  
"I was built to fly, not to walk. You should see me in the air," Typhoon stated simply. Inferno, noting his wings, folded in great bundles on his back, nodded in agreement. The two stood there silently for a minute, observing each other. Finally, Inferno Phoenix returned to his work on the silver-themed angel Reploid on his workbench. Typhoon just went off, found a corner, and went into a sleep mode.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma sat silently in school, gazing out the window near her desk. The teacher had already admonished her several times for not paying attention, but had eventually given up on the girl. Ranma, meanwhile, was thinking about Akane. she wondered to herself. I know she's worried, but I can't stand her pity.  
Suddenly, the school shuddered, and a plume of smoke issued out from the downstairs chemistry lab. The fire alarm went off, and everyone leapt to their feet. Akane dashed over to Ranma's desk.  
"Someone might get trapped inside," Akane said, trying to forget about Ranma's behavior. "I'm going to go get some hot water. You get outside; you're injured." Ranma opened her mouth to object, but then closed it and nodded to Akane. The long-haired girl ran off to the bathrooms, in search of hot water. Idly, she hoped that there wouldn't be too many uncomfortable questions once this was all over. Arriving, she twisted the hot water spigot and held her hand under the water, waiting for it to be warm enough to change her. After about half a minute, her transformation triggered. With a *riiiip* of tearing dress, Akane was a robot again.  
"Oops," she muttered to herself, pulling the rags of her dress from her body. "Forgot about that." Shaking her head, she raced outside the smoking building. Just as she exited the front door, another explosion shook the school, and a gout of incendiary flame burst from a few adjacent third floor rooms. A loud *thud* was audible over the panicked shouting of the student body, which was milling about outside the school. Then, another great blast burst from three second floor rooms, directly below those that had been blasted from the first explosion. Finally, another explosion wracked the school, this one coming from the ground floor. With four explosions having rocked it's structural integrity, the left wing of the school could no longer remain standing, and collapsed with a great rumble of falling concrete. Very few students spoke, as they were torn between the desire to celebrate, the destruction of the school being an old fantasy for all, and the knowledge that this was a Bad Thing. Akane, being made of metal, had remained closer to the school than anybody else, and saw the figure moving in the rubble of the school first.  
"Oh my God, someone's alive in there!" she cried, running towards the figure, which was obscured by the great clouds of dust that surrounded the ruins of the school. She soon slowed, then stopped when she realized that the figure was much too large to be human. Her fears were confirmed when the thing stepped through one last cloud of dust.  
He was big, she noted- almost eight feet tall, though he might be more; the rubble allowed for poor footing, and he might be compensating for the lack of balance. He had the head of a wild boar, and the body of a robot, built for war. Akane began to get uneasy. Once he saw her, the big boar-robot stopped, and looked at her for a minute.  
"I am looking for someone," he said, his voice deep and full. On one hand, it comforted Akane, but on the other, it reminded her just how big this guy was. "Can you help be find him?"  
"Depends of who," Akane stalled, easing her hand towards her sword. She suspected that this robot had destroyed the school, and wanted to be ready to fight if she had to.  
"Ranma Saotome," the boar-thing told her, oblivious to her actions. "He has made my life Hell. I wish to repay him for his kindness," it sneered. Akane gave up all pretense of hiding her movement, and grabbed her sword.  
"Who wants to know?" she asked.  
"I'm Ryoga Hibiki," the boar declared. Akane heard a muffled curse from behind her, and the sound of footsteps approaching.  
"Aww, man, Ryoga. You get stuck with a body you didn't want too?" Ranma asked, arriving next to Akane.  
"Who is this guy?" Akane whispered in an aside to Ranma.  
"Some guy I pissed off in junior high. Last I knew, he was really strong, but pretty slow. Looks the same way in his new body, but I can't be sure," Ranma whispered back.  
"Who are you?" Ryoga asked simply, looking at Ranma.  
"I'm-" Ranma began.  
"Ranko! Ranko Saotome!" Akane cut in, sensing disaster if Ranma's identity was revealed.  
"Uhh... yeah!" Ranma picked up. "I'm Ranma's sister. What do you want with him?"  
"I'll kill him. Thanks to him, I've been cursed with this body. I'm reviled and hated wherever I go. I can no longer enjoy even the simple things in life. Food, what few friends I once had, everything I had is gone. I've even lost my inability to find my way. For that offense, my family disowned me," Ryoga listed, his voice growing more menacing with each word. "He will pay. Dearly."  
"Well, you're wrong about the body, but I'm not going to let you hurt my friend," Akane declared, activating her beam saber in a burst of green energy. To Ranma, she added, "Ranko, you'd better get out of here. It's about to get messy, and you don't have any hot water." Ranma nodded once, her face strained, then turned and ran from the ruins.  
"Normally, I would forgive you for befriending Ranma," Ryoga said, his eyes beginning to glow a fiery red. "But you choose to harbor him, to hide the coward. This offense cannot be tolerated. Prepare to die!" With that, he screamed a deep, feral cry, and charged towards Akane, his head lowered. Not knowing what kind of damage a charge like that could do to her, and not wanting to, Akane rolled the side, slashing upwards with her saber as Ryoga passed. The energy blade cut a shallow nick in Ryoga's heavy armor.  
"That's it?" Ryoga snorted, looking at the tiny scratch. "That's all you can do? This will be easier than I thought."  
"We'll see," Akane returned with a smirk. Finally, for the first time in what seemed like ages, she felt truly at home, as if she were doing what she was truly called to do. Ryoga charged at her, but she rolled to the left again, not even bothering to slash at him. Instead, she got a good look at his backside, searching for any weak spots. Unfortunately, she couldn't see any obvious ones. She had no time to look for more well-guarded chinks in the big Reploid's armor, as he turned around to face her again.  
"You're quick," he said, "but let's see you avoid this!" That said, he raised his right arm and pointed it at her. There was a large, metal cylinder attached to the top of it, which was hollowed out and attached to a metal hose. Instinctively, Akane dodged backwards. A mere second later, Ryoga fired a sphere about a half foot in diameter at the place where Akane'd stood a minute earlier. It struck the ground, and immediately exploded. The fire itself wasn't very impressive, engulfing only about a six foot radius, but the shockwave that the little bomb generated lifted Akane from her feet and sent her tumbling backwards. Her armor absorbed most of the blast, but her internal repair systems were still scrambling to repair the internal damage the shockwave had caused in her systems. Knowing that she was in danger, Akane rolled to her feet as soon as she regained her bearings.  
"RRRRRAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!" Ryoga bellowed as he charged towards her, his head lowered. Instead of dodging, Akane leapt upwards, and landed heavily on his back, knocking the overbalanced robot to the ground. Seeing that the tube attached to the cylinder on his right arm ran to the backpack that she was standing on, Akane slashed downward, hard, with her sword. With a thousand pounds of force behind it, even Ryoga's armor couldn't stand up to the mighty blow. The hose, severed cleanly in the middle, whipped about like a snake, the systems on both ends short circuiting. The electrical surges caused Ryoga's already squirming body to go into convulsions, which threw Akane from his form like a rag doll. She landed heavily a foot or so away, and watched Ryoga, praying that the fight was over. Slowly, the convulsions stopped, and he lay still.  
"Whew," Akane breathed, rising. "I'm glad that's over." Dusting her hands, she walked over to Ryoga's prone form. Bending over, she pushed it hard, rolling it over so that he was facing upwards. His animalistic face was twisted in agony, frozen in place by massive feedback loops, Akane surmised. "Poor guy," she murmured. "If only he'd stayed away."  
Suddenly, Akane felt a strong tug on her left boot. She looked downward, and saw that Ryoga's hand had grabbed her boot in a viselike grip, the tips of his hand digging into the metal of her armor. She looked back up to see that the expression on his face had gone from one of pain to one of glee. He quickly rose to his feet, pulling Akane from hers as if she were little more than a child's toy. Grinning savagely, he dangled her by her leg, the rest of her flailing about in vain. In her surprise, Akane had dropped her beam saber. Otherwise helpless, Akane hammered on Ryoga's kneecap with her fists. She might as well have been trying to stop a freight train with a five yen coin- each were about as likely to succeed in their tasks.  
"You maimed me," Ryoga growled, his grin turning to a sneer. "You'll pay for that." Lifting her high, Akane came even to his face. In spite, she slapped him, knowing that her carelessness had lost her the fight. Ryoga just laughed, and laughed even harder when her hand popped a rivet. Shaking his head, he brought his arm down hard and fast, causing Akane's body to follow it on it's course. Just as it reached the lowest point that it could go to, Ryoga reversed his swing back upwards, sending Akane snapping along the length of her body. The intense G forces wreaked havoc with her internal systems, and she could hear the rattle in her chest as she heard something break loose. Once again, Ryoga hoisted her, but Akane didn't struggle this time. Even if she'd wanted to, she was too badly damaged to do anything in this position. Thus far, her internal damage wasn't anything that her auto-repair systems couldn't handle, but they took time, time that she didn't have. Snorting, Ryoga dropped her to the ground.  
"You're not worth my time. Ranma's here somewhere. I'm going to find him," he declared, marching slowly away. Something in Akane snapped, and she found herself shaking in anger. Her entire body shaking, she struggled to her feet.  
"You... leave... her... alone!" she demanded, glaring daggers at Ryoga.  
"Oh, you're still alive?" he asked, honestly surprised. The beating he'd given her would've crushed any lesser creation. However, his last choice of words was more than poor; they were disastrous. Shuddering, Akane let loose with a feral battle cry and charged forward, her right arm cocked for a great punch. Ryoga, knowing that his armor could take anything that she could dish out, just stood and waited. When Akane's arm began to glow, though, he began to worry, if only a little. Her entire weight behind the punch, Akane slammed her fist home to Ryoga's left shoulder, the glow around her arm being pulled into it. Upon contact with the armor, hatches in Akane's hand snapped open, and blasted forward in an incredibly powerful, point blank range attack. The explosion of energy caught Ryoga completely off guard, and it sheared most of the way through his arm. Teetering, he staggered backwards, crashing upon the ground as the remnants of her attack washed through the local systems housed in the area.  
Ryoga glared at Akane, who glared right back. He clutched his arm to his body, trying desperately to keep it attached, while Akane just struggled desperately to remain standing. Finally, Ryoga turned to retreat, knowing that, even as damaged as Akane was, she could still fight. With his shattered arm and damaged subsystems, he could not. However, as a final spite, he dropped a shockwave bomb out of his backpack, the fuse set on a timer. He ran from the rubble of Furinkan High, while Akane stared at the bomb as the fuse counted down, unable to move.  
Finally, the bomb exploded, the shockwave sending her straight up into the air. Akane tumbled about, airborne, for almost ten full seconds, before her systems shut her central consciousness down, in a desperate effort to conserve her waning energy. Her body fell hard, with a resounding metallic *clang* to the ground. Below her, something that had lain dormant since it's creation hummed to life. Slowly, raised on hydraulic lifts, a cylinder made of blue painted metal rose from the ground. It had a tube large enough for a person to stand inside of it, the capsule part of it being rimmed with green glass. Tubes ran along it's top and bottom, connecting red transistors and small, micro fusion generators. Elevated, Akane's body soon fall to the ground, and lay there, all but dead. Unbeknownst to her, the glass of the capsule slid down, and the AI of the capsule hummed to life.  
"Oh, my," said the holographic human the stood upon the main pad of the pod.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Flashfyre5 Presents  
A Flaming Amarant production  
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota  
  
The Opening Bet  
Chapter Four: Light From Another World  
  
  
" " = speech  
[ ] = panda board  
= thought  
/ / = written  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Oh, my," the hologram said. It appeared to be an American man, in his late fifties. He was short and stout, with a bushy white beard, long hair of a similar nature, and a kind face. The hologram itself was only three-quarters opaque, allowing a person to see the capsule it stood in. "Zero, what are you doing here? And so badly damaged, too..," he trailed off, thinking. The artificial intelligence stored inside the capsule was a perfect copy of the personality and knowledge of its creator. It hummed, following the exact same thought processes that the creator himself would have. "I'll just have to fix you up a bit, then wait for X to arrive," the hologram finally said. A few cables then snaked out of the capsule, grabbed Akane, and dragged her inside. The hologram vanished, and Akane was stood in its place.  
"You're not Zero!" the hologram's voice exclaimed, surprised. The glass of the capsule hissed shut, and a number of sensors did a detailed scan of Akane's infrastructure. The data was fed directly to the hologram's AI, and it pondered over the similarities and differences. "Incredible," the voice murmured. "Her physical construction is almost identical to Zero's. The only differences seem to be cosmetic in nature only. His central consciousness has been wiped from every area except for a few subsystems in her fighting protocol, though. I wonder what happened..." A few seconds passed as the AI pondered the situation in silence. "Well, there's only one way to find out, I suppose," the computer finally decided. With that, dozens of wires and cables snaked out of the capsule walls and looked into various hatches and slots in Akane's armor. Larger arms began to repair her armor in the places it could, and replace it in the others. Slowly, Akane began to look whole again.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Nabiki walked home, her pace brisk. Her mind was awhirl with the events of the past day and a half. First, Akane'd been given her humanity back, if even only part-time. Then, Ranma'd revealed that she'd been forbidden from practicing martial arts. Finally, the school had exploded in what seemed to be a terrorist attack. Two of the items, Nabiki was sure, were directly something about Ranma, and she suspected the third was, too. Nabiki mused, turning the corner that her favorite ice cream shop was located on. For a moment, she paused by the door, then decided to go inside and treat herself, if just a little. After all, the school HAD been leveled, essentially.  
Once she stepped inside, Nabiki quickly realized that she wasn't the only person who'd had this idea. Practically every booth and chair was packed with someone from Furinkan, and almost every one of them were talking loudly, joking, and generally having a good time. Nabiki spotted a table filled with her working partners, and walked over to join them. On her way, she ordered a simple fudge sundae. She wasn't sure why she loved that particular confection; she hated chocolate for the most part.  
Pulling an empty chair up to the table, she sat down and asked, "What's the buzz?"  
"Ranma and Akane," one of her rumormongers quickly responded. Hitomi, Nabiki remembered. She was great at what she did, and even better at being forgotten. Nabiki suspected that that was why she was so good.  
"Something's up, Nabiki. You're not telling us everything," Aiko, Nabiki's second-in-command, said flatly. She was a willowy girl, with long blue hair. Her figure was impressive, but not as impressive as the mind that lurked behind it. Her specialty was manipulation, especially with the male gender. She currently had five boyfriends wrapped around her little finger, and was draining each for everything he was worth. The only reason that she was the second best was because she hadn't quite squashed her conscience in the way Nabiki had. She just couldn't close some deals.  
"Yeah. Like, for example, why your sister showed up a human today. She was a 'bot yesterday. What happened?" asked Junko, a scrappy underclassman with a vicious sense of justice, a lean, small body that was about as dangerous as a wolverine's, and a really short temper. She was known as Nabiki's unofficial enforcer, but her real job was digging up dirt on anyone and everyone she could. She loved revenge.  
"That is private," Nabiki answered firmly. Junko narrowed her eyes at this, and Aiko shook her head nearly imperceptibly.  
The only boy in the group, an average looking youth by the name of Kenji, spoke up, "Not this time, Nabiki. We need to know, one way or the other." Though not particularly smart, Kenji could read people like a book. Nobody was safe; even Nabiki had fallen prey to his unnerving abilities before. He was also an excellent liar, the best that Nabiki had ever met. Most people assumed that he was a good liar because of how well he could read people.  
Kenji was of average stature, with average facial construction. Though a bit muscular for his size, he was no fighter by any standard, and certainly not by Furinkan's. What made him stand out, though, is that one day he'd apparently decided that he liked long, silver hair. Nobody knew why; he just did. Now, he sported a braid that hung to his waist, dyed shining, metallic silver. His parents had nearly killed him when he'd presented them with the bill for the dye. He rounded out Nabiki's group of information and money gathering 'friends,' and was the last, and least important, member in the group.  
"Kenji's right, Nabiki," Hitomi agreed, nodding. "If you want me to cover for her, I can; no problem. I just need to know the real story so that I can keep people away from it."  
"I can keep the upper crust under control if I have a few bones to throw them," added Aiko. "But I'm in the same boat as Hitomi. I need information before I can do anything."  
"I can find the people who figure it out, and keep 'em quiet," Junko told Nabiki, her tone brooking no argument. Nobody argued with Junko, at least, nobody who wasn't one of the real martial artists. Nabiki was silent for a moment, thinking.  
"What about you, Kenji? Don't you have something to add?" Nabiki asked, cocking an eyebrow.   
The youth looked up from his ice cream, two simple scoops of vanilla, and answered, "You know what I do, Nabiki. If you think someone's lying, bring 'em to me. I really couldn't care less about your sister." Nabiki nodded, having gained the answer she wanted from Kenji.  
"All right, guys, here's the lowdown," Nabiki finally said, leaning towards the center of the table. Everyone else except for Kenji followed suit. "Saotome showed up two days ago. I'm not going into details, but she's staying with us for a while. Normally, she's the blue robot that everyone saw yesterday. She picked up an ability along the way that lets her be a human when she wants to. Akane helped her out after the fight yesterday, and she was thankful for it. In return, she gave Akane a similar ability."  
"You're kidding me," Aiko said, leaning back.  
"No she isn't," Kenji interjected. "Pulse never changed throughout the whole thing. Tone was the same, breathing the same. Weird, but true." Everyone was silent for a moment, staring at Kenji.  
"You can hear her heartbeat?" Junko asked flatly, her tone obviously doubtful.  
"No," Kenji denied. "I watched her Chorroidic artery. If you're good, you can see it throb with someone's heartbeat."  
"Whatever," Hitomi said, shaking her head. "Assuming that it is true, what kind of interference do you want us to run?"  
"Hitomi, spread some tales about vampires, the occult, you know, weird stuff that'll get people's dander up but pass into disbelief in a week or so," Nabiki instructed.  
"It'll put a lot of heat on your sis," Hitomi cautioned.  
"The school'll be under repair for two weeks, at least. By the time we all get back, I want there to be plenty of rumors, and none of them believable. Nobody'll have the guts to bug her if they don't have anything to go on," Nabiki replied. "Aiko, drop the bit about Saotome staying at my place, but make them think that something outside the household caused the change back," Nabiki continued.  
"They're not gonna buy it; it's too close to the truth and doesn't carry enough details," Aiko protested.  
"Make 'em up," Nabiki ordered. Turning to Junko, she continued, "Junko, find everyone else that's spreading rumors. If they're not too close to the truth, don't do anything. If they are, you know what to do."  
"Oh, yeah," Junko agreed with zeal.  
"And Junko," Nabiki added, "do it quietly." She was treated to a soft curse on the part of her enforcer, and smiled a bit. "Kenji, just run general confusion. If you hear a rumor, twist it. Try not to make 'em too weird. There's a reason that Hitomi's at the center of the rumor mill and you're not."  
"I know," he answered simply. With that, the group rose from the table and went their separate ways.  
"Hey, Kenji," Nabiki called, remembering something. "Can you really read someone's pulse by sight?"  
"No," he replied.  
"Then why'd you support me back there?" she asked, cocking her head.  
"Because you were telling the truth," Kenji answered, shrugging his shoulders. He dropped a 2000-yen bill on the table that the group had shared, then turned to leave.  
"How'd you know for sure?" Nabiki asked.  
"I didn't," he called back, leaving the store. "Not until just now."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma ran through the streets like a woman possessed, looking frantically for some place that she could get some hot water and a little privacy. Her side ached where Kuno had stabbed it, but she ignored the pain, knowing that Akane would, at the very least, have trouble against the big robot that had decimated the school. Seeing a restaurant, she skidded to a stop, then dashed in the front door. Blowing past the surprised host, she ran into the bathroom, and yanked the handle on the sink for hot water. The minute that passed as she held her hand under the spigot, waiting for it to become hot enough to trigger her change, was the longest of her life.  
Finally, she experienced the incredibly unnatural sensation of loosing the feeling all throughout her body, as it became mechanical. Ripping her, now his, clothes from his body, he barreled out, not even bothering to open the door. He noted in some part of his mind that a manager or someone shouted about paying for the door, but he ignored it and continued on, back to the school. He knew that if he was there to fight, her chances would be better, but he wasn't sure how much better. Just from their sparring match, Ranma knew that she was a better hand-to-hand fighter than he was. Even while distracted, she'd managed to pull off a brilliant counterattack that had won her the match.  
When he finally made it back onto the school grounds, he knew instinctively that he was too late. Most of the students had left, and what few remained seemed to be talking among themselves. Ranma ran up to one and grabbed his shoulder. He recognized the student as Hiroshi, a guy from his class.  
"Hiroshi, what happened?" he asked to the startled young man.  
"Huh?" Hiroshi replied intelligently.  
"Did you see a big boar-looking robot come out of the ruins?" Ranma asked, gesturing to the rubble of the school's left wing, which was still shrouded with billowing smoke.  
"Yeah, he came and went about three minutes ago," Hiroshi replied, still not sure what to think.  
"What about Akane?" Ranma queried, looking around.  
"Haven't seen her. We think that she's still in there, but nobody's got the guts to go near the school. There might still be bombs or something," Hiroshi warned, but Ranma was already gone. He dashed into the ruins of the school, his metal boots striking a sharp rapport on the shattered concrete. Ranma quickly located the site of the battle, the crater of a detonated bomb marking the warrior's ground. He stopped, looking around for Akane's body.  
Through the smoke, he saw the hazy shadow of a misshapen cylinder. Hoping that it might help him in his search, he approached it for a closer look. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was definitely not a part of the school; the design of the capsule spoke volumes about its technological sophistication. However, the capsule's design wasn't what caught Ranma's attention. The fact that Akane, stripped of her armor and with wires and cables connecting her to the pod, was held upright inside the main bay of the thing did.  
"God, Akane, are you all right?" Ranma exclaimed, rushing forward to the capsule. When she didn't respond, Ranma reached for one of the larger cables that was holding her upright, with the intent of breaking it.  
"X, what are you doing?" an unseen speaker boomed. Ranma froze and cast about, looking for whoever had spoken.  
"Where are you?" Ranma called out, reaching out slowly for Akane again.  
"I am the capsule, X," the voice replied, at normal volume this time. "What happened to Zero? Aside from the fact that he's been badly damaged, he's had a major remodeling job done. He's even got a new personality matrix."  
"Who're you talking about? I don't know anyone named Zero. And who's X?" Ranma asked, his hand passing to the inside of the capsule again.  
"X, if you want me to fix Zero, you're going to have to leave him alone for a little while. I know that he looks pretty bad right now, but I'm a much more advanced capsule than you've come across in the past. I can repair him tonight, if you just leave him alone," the voice admonished Ranma. Ranma looked at his hand, and found that a small laser pointer was painting a tiny red dot on his hand. Sheepishly, her withdrew it, but stayed ready for action. "As for Zero," the voice continued, "he's right here in the capsule. Were your optic sensors damaged recently or something?"  
"My eyes are fine," Ranma countered. "And that's Akane, my best friend, that you've got in there. What're you doing to her?"  
"Akane? Well, it seems that I'm mistaken, then. In any case, she was badly damaged in a fight with something. Many of her internal systems were destroyed. As I said, though, I am a more advanced capsule than you've encountered in the past. I can have her fully repaired by morning," the voice answered.  
"You won't hurt her?" Ranma hedged, untrusting.  
"Not a hair," the voice returned soothingly. Deciding to trust the machine, Ranma relaxed, dropping the ready stance that he'd assumed. "Now, X, I need a little information from you," the voice continued. Ranma decided to search a bit, and soon found a pair of speakers built into the top of the capsule, which were emitting the voice. "My communication net has been down for some reason, and I haven't received any reports on the Maverick Wars. What's happening?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ranma shook his head, returning to the front of the capsule. "There hasn't been a real war in Japan since the Americans dropped the Bombs in World War 2."  
"That can't be right!" the voice exclaimed. "The Maverick Wars have been raging for years, with Japan as the major battlefield. Before that, the Wily Wars almost tore it apart. Is there something wrong with your memory core, X?"  
"First of all, my name is Ranma. I don't know who this 'X' is, and I don't really care. Second, I never heard about any 'Wily' or 'Maverick' wars. My memory's fine; in fact, it's a bit too fine in this body. I couldn't forget anything, even if I wanted to," Ranma replied, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice.  
"If the core's intact...," the voice mumbled, obviously musing aloud. Ranma waited patiently, the only sound audible being the clicking and whirring as the capsule worked on Akane's innards. "...A temporal distortion would account for almost everything," it finally continued. "X... err, Ranma, what year is it?"  
"1997. Why?" Ranma replied, confused.  
"My capsule must have been hurled back through time," the voice explained. "You bear a striking resemblance to my greatest creation, and your friend seems a lot like his partner. That's why I called you 'X', and her 'Zero.' Strange, though. My records don't...," the voice began, but was cut off as the whine of sirens suddenly blared through the air. "Oh no!" the voice exclaimed quietly.  
"What? It's just the cops," Ranma brushed the voice's reaction off. "They're here 'cuz the school got blown up. Big surprise."  
"Ranma, I was created in the year 2084, with technology that still won't be matched a hundred years from then. I carry weapons and armor schematics that won't be seen in their most primitive forms for a full half-century. Do you really want to see what this world could do with technology two centuries ahead of its time?" the voice explained.  
"Good point," Ranma conceded, lowering his voice. "How we gonna hide you? I can't carry you; you're too big."  
"I have enough energy to initiate an emergency transport away from here, and to somewhere safe, but I need a destination. Since it's only 1997, most of my 'safe zones' probably don't exist yet," the voice explained. "With your permission, I can access Akane's memory banks and use them to find a safe location for the both of us. May I?" Ranma looked around the site, thinking. Though he could see no officials at the moment, he knew that they were well on their way into the ruins, and it was only a matter of time until the capsule would be found.  
"Do it," Ranma agreed, looking back to the capsule. "But I want to know where you're going."  
"Agreed," the voice said. A soft hum built up from the pod, and Ranma saw the bottom pad of the capsule begin to glow. "Got one," the voice declared. "We'll be in the basement of the Tendo house, in the far corner near the water heater. No one ever goes there."  
"Gotcha," Ranma replied, looking back around the school, looking for police. The capsule built up a whine, the top beginning to glow as well. Finally, it faded from sight, seeming to split in all directions at once. Hoping that the voice in the capsule had been telling the truth, Ranma turned and ran from the ruins of the school. He vaulted over the rear wall, and continued on his way back to the Tendo household.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Inferno Phoenix leaned back from his current work-in-progress. Kuno's body had been greatly restored, with a large number of modifications and enhancements being added to the original body that he'd had. He would be, as soon as the more basic work of mundane reassembly was complete, a robot built and armed for war.  
"It's good," Typhoon said softly from his spot in the corner. He'd taken up a semi-permanent residence there, and didn't much care to move or speak.  
"Thank you," Inferno replied, nodding in his direction. "It's amazing what the Change has done to us. We never would have been able to agree on anything as Fleshies."  
"Agreed," Typhoon said, sparing Inferno one of his rare grins. "Will you be the one reassembling him? He's rather eager to get back into his body, you know."  
"No, I'll leave it to the drones. They'll take longer, but he needs to learn patience," Inferno decided with a snort. "I, actually, have another idea."  
"Oh?" Typhoon prompted, looking interested. Inferno beckoned him, and the huge Reploid stood up and lumbered over to the homemade computer near Inferno's workbench. Inferno was already typing away at it, accessing hidden files and entering passwords. Finally, a wireframe schematic of a small robot sprung to life on the screen. Its body was streamlined, and its head was almost as large as it is torso. It had metallic spikes that jutted backwards from his facial area that resembled hair. Its face was simple- a steel plate where its mouth should be, secured by two large spikes on either side of the rounded head area. Above it was a curved area, looking to be two large eyes, joined in the middle.  
Its body was fairly thin, and oval-shaped. In the middle of it was a large, parabolic depression peppered with hundreds of long slits from the center, spreading to the outside. In the center was a nub, holding the affair together and suggesting rotation. It's back had a long protrusion that curved to form a point. It followed the rim of the parabolic depression, as if the thing went all the way through its body. It's arms and legs were thin and lightweight. It's arms terminated in bladed claws, obviously meant for killing. It's legs stretched down to a pair of jointed, segmented half-ovals that looked for all the world like shoes.  
"What is it?" Typhoon asked, cocking his head.  
"My next project. I'm going to build a servant for the Master using a new concept entirely, one that hasn't been tested," Inferno explained. "Not brains, brawn, or toughness. No, not for this one. He'll be all speed."  
"Will it work?" Typhoon countered, eyeing the prospective 3' 9" height of the construct. "Not much room to work with."  
"It'll work, all right. It'll take a lot of elbow grease, but it'll work," Inferno confirmed.  
"What're you going to call it?" Typhoon asked, standing back up to his semi-full height.  
"Sonic Hedgehog," Inferno told him with a grin.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ryoga ran through the back alleys of Nerima, looking for a hidden place to rest. Finally, he noticed the Nerima canal, and saw a small bridge that over passed it. Grunting to himself, he jumped over the fence that prevented normal people from falling into the canal, and snuck underneath the bridge. Feeling safe, he rested against the sloping concrete and relaxed, letting go of his injured arm for a moment. It rolled away a bit, to lie next to him, the shattered joint facing upwards. He stared at it for a few minutes in horrid fascination, looking at the cables, wires, and metal that had replaced the flesh and blood that he'd once had. Reaching over, he separated the snapped wires and cables from the still attached ones, and found that his arm was still attached to the rest of him by three lonely cables, bunched together at the rear end of his arm socket.  
Squelching his eyes shut, he ripped the limb free of its last anchors and stared at it in sadness. he thought, clutching his shattered arm in his good hand. Then, he heard approaching footsteps, and rolled to a crouch, looking up. The steps were being made my something metallic, and Ryoga wondered if the red devil had come to finish him off.  
With a crash, a pair of metallic feet smashed into the canal floor, their owner having jumped from the bridge above. He was mostly shrouded in a big, black cloak, but the hood had fallen back to allow Ryoga a view of his face. It was hard, and chiseled, with a hint of a permanent sneer imprinted there. There was not a hair on his head, and his blood red eyes bore a permanent look of malice. This was further enhanced by the twin vertical slashes of purple psudo-skin, one through each eye.  
"Who the Hell are you?" Ryoga snarled, digging his feet in to charge.  
"Someone who wants to help you," the man-robot replied, his voice sneering and hateful. Somehow, though, Ryoga sensed that his hate was directed elsewhere.  
"What do you mean?" Ryoga asked, standing up. At his full height, he was a good deal taller than the man-robot, but both parties knew that height mattered little enough.  
"I have facilities that can repair you, and make you stronger. You can have your revenge on whoever did this to you," the man-robot tempted Ryoga.  
"What's the catch?" Ryoga asked, suspicious.  
"You just have to assist me with a few matters. Nothing that you'll find unpleasant in the least, I assure you," the thing replied.  
"That's it?" Ryoga asked, not quite believing the other.  
"That's it," he confirmed.  
"Where do I have to go?" Ryoga agreed.  
"Have you ever been to the Quainghai province of China?" the man-robot asked.  
"Yeah," Ryoga confirmed.  
"Find an area called Jusendo. Avoid the cursed pools of Jusenkyo, but find a certain mountain, called Mount Phoenix. I have a base there, manned by a number of Reploids. They are also in my service, and they'll be the ones that'll help you," the man-robot explained. "I would take you myself, but I have recently received news of more pressing business that I have to take care of in Siberia. I will meet you at the base," the man-robot explained, turning to leave.  
"How will they know me?" Ryoga asked. The man-robot paused for a moment, then looked back at him.  
"Tell them that Sigma sent you," the man-robot, now identified as Sigma, told Ryoga. Then, he flipped the hood of his cloak up and left. Ryoga waited for another few minutes, considering what had just happened. Finally, he nodded and left the same way that Sigma had, dropping his ruined arm as he left.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma shut the front door of the Tendo house behind him with a sigh, leaning against the wood. He'd gotten home without any police officers asking him awkward questions, which was a major relief to him. Even if Akane wasn't here as the voice in the capsule had promised, he was glad to be back.  
"Hey, Saotome, is that you?" Nabiki's voice came from the kitchen. Ranma's sensitive audio sensors picked up the sounds of her getting to her feet and padding to the front hall.  
"Yeah, it's me," he answered, standing away from the door. Nabiki entered the hallway from the far end and looked at him for a moment, leaning on the doorjamb.  
"I owe you for what you did to Akane," she finally said, her eyes cold.  
"Wh-what do you mean?" Ranma stammered, suddenly worried that Nabiki had found the strange capsule.  
"With the Nyaniichuan," Nabiki explained. Internally, Ranma relaxed, but tried to keep it from showing. "I might be a money-loving bitch," she began, causing Ranma's eyebrows to rise slightly, "But I always settle my debts."  
"Umm... thanks, I think...," Ranma replied, unsure of what else to do. Nabiki looked away from him, her gaze passing through the hallway and to the stairwell.  
"I heard about your father restricting your martial arts as a matter of giri," she began, her left thumb rubbing her forefinger, as if looking for something else to rub. "So it's a family matter, right?"  
"Yeah," Ranma confirmed, his uncertainty dissolving as soon as the conversation drifted to matters of honor.  
"Just like the promise to 'unite the schools', right?" Nabiki continued, her thumb rubbing a bit faster.  
"Yeah," Ranma told her, nodding. Nabiki looked back towards him, her thumb stopping.  
"I could persuade Daddy to adopt you as a Tendo. It's unite the schools, and you wouldn't have to pay any attention to that stupid promise that your Dad made you make," Nabiki concluded. Ranma stood stock-still, realizing just how great a boon she was offering.  
"I...," he uttered, his chest tight. Even as a robot, he could feel the psychosomatic manifestations of feelings, weather or not his body was capable of having them. "I... can't," he finally said.  
"Why not?" Nabiki asked, surprised.  
"He'd win," Ranma explained, relaxing a bit. "If I ran away, that'd be letting Pop win, and Ranma Saotome doesn't lose at anything."  
"So you're willing to throw your life away, just so that you won't lose a fight with him?" Nabiki asked, incredulous. She spat the last word out like a curse.  
"Nah," Ranma said, shaking his head. "I just said that I never lose a fight. I got a way out of this whole mess, it'll just take some doing."  
"Explain," Nabiki demanded, folding her arms across her chest.  
"Well, as far as the Government's concerned, I'm still a guy," Ranma started, a small grin on his face. "So I just find some open-minded girl and marry her. The state'll say that Ranma Saotome married whoever, and is her husband. Now, as far as I know, a woman can't be a husband, can she?"  
"So you'll just blackmail your father into releasing you from your promise," Nabiki laughed, a grin spreading across her face. "That's great. How long'd it take you to figure it out?"  
"Since he made me promise," Ranma admitted sheepishly, his hand behind his head.  
"All right," Nabiki snorted, her grin staying in place. "You find the girl, and I'll make everything else work, guaranteed."  
"Thanks, Nabiki," Ranma said, smiling. She pushed off from the doorjamb and walked away down the hallway slowly.  
"No prob," she called over her shoulder. "But don't get any ideas. I'm not 'open minded,' as you put it." Ranma barked a short laugh, the thought never having crossed his mind.   
Suddenly, another thought did cross his mind, and he called out, "Hey, Nabiki, where's the door to get to your basement?"  
"Why?" she asked, pausing on the stairwell.  
"Akane's staying at Yuka's tonight, and she wanted me to get something from down there," Ranma lied, hoping that Nabiki wouldn't turn around and take a look at his face. Though he could forcibly moderate his voice in this form, he still had an atrocious poker face.  
"Oh. It's down by the bathroom, to the right," Nabiki told him, continuing on her way. Ranma nodded and made his way to the doorway as normally as he could. Nabiki chose that moment to glance back at him, and saw his jerky, mechanical movements. She immediately recognized them as the actions of someone who wants to look normal, but has a lot to worry about. Smelling a rat, she waited at the top of the stairwell for him to descend the stairs to the basement. She knew from experience with Akane just how well he could probably hear.  
Meanwhile, Ranma was opening the door to the basement. He slipped in, only opening it wide enough for his body to fit. Easing it closed behind him, he practically ran down the bare wooden steps to the ground beneath. His feet struck loudly against the flat concrete, and Ranma hoped that nobody could hear him too well. Coming to the center of the underground room, he looked around, searching for the capsule.  
Suddenly, he saw a flash of blue, and darted forward. Sure enough, the tall, blue capsule stood next to the water heater, just as it had promised. Inside, Akane was still under repair, but it was already apparent that her condition had improved. The armor all the way up her arms was pristine, and shone with a brand new coat of paint, which was still wet.  
"Ranma," the capsule spoke softly as Ranma approached further. "You're here a little earlier than I expected, given the distance. Did you run the entire way?"  
"More or less," Ranma admitted with a half-grin. "How's she doin', umm...," Ranma trailed off, unsure as to how to address the capsule.  
"Doctor Thomas Xavier Light," the capsule supplied. "But you may call me 'Doctor Light', if you want to."  
"Whatever, Doc," Ranma replied, brushing him off. "How's she doing?"  
"I told you before, Akane will be fine. Most of the damage done to her is internal. Her operating systems were badly damaged by a shockwave of some kind," Dr. Light reassured Ranma.  
"Can you wake her up?" Ranma asked. "I wanna know if you're doing weird things to her mind."  
"You're not like X at all," the Doctor teased. "He'll trust anyone, but you don't seem to trust anything."  
"Akane's been the only Changed person that hasn't tried to kill me the first opportunity they got. I'm not real trustful of stuff that looks like you," Ranma explained, his expression stony. "Now, can you wake up Akane?"  
"Not for another couple of hours," Dr. Light replied.  
"Fine. I'll wait," Ranma affirmed, sitting down opposite to the capsule. For a long time, the only could that could be heard in the basement was the whir and click of machinery as the capsule repaired Akane.  
"When you said 'Changed,'" Dr. Light finally said, "I sensed that there was a capital 'c' in there. Why?"  
"It was the Change," Ranma began, remembering how Akane had explained things to him. "About two and a half weeks ago, about two billion people died, just like that," he said, snapping his fingers. "Lotsa buildings were destroyed, and a lotta people were Changed."  
"What do you mean?" Dr. Light reiterated, not understanding.  
"In the time of a coupla seconds, they went from being normal people to being machines, like me an' Akane. Two weeks ago, we were both human," Ranma explained, looking upwards at the ceiling.  
"Two and a half weeks...," Dr. Light trailed off. "That's exactly when I lost communication with the other capsules and my information network. This changes everything."  
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked, looking back at the capsule.  
"If so many were affected, it couldn't have been such a simple thing as time travel," Dr. Light mused. "It might be an instance of Jakob's Law..."  
"What's that?" Ranma asked.  
"It states that for each possibility in existence, there must be a reality that conforms to it. One of it's accompanying theorems states that there are small, divergent realities that occasionally collide or cross with our own. This causes discrepancies in reality that the world seeks to rectify. Essentially, it states that all natural disasters are caused, at some point, by a planar difference between the two," Dr. Light explained.  
"So what does this have to do with anything?" Ranma asked, rising.  
"Well, what if two major planes collided? Namely, yours and mine. The human population in my time and world numbered about four billion, reduced to such by constant warfare. Now, your own population matches it. People change into robots that are essentially the exact same models as existed in my world. Buildings are suddenly and inexplicably annihilated," Dr. Light listed.  
"Whoa...," Ranma murmured, the implications hitting him.  
"Whoa is right," Dr. Light agreed. "I think that your reality has absorbed mine."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
  
Flashfyre5 Presents  
A Flaming Amarant production  
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota  
  
The Opening Bet  
Chapter Five: The Virus  
  
  
" " = speech  
[ ] = panda board  
= thought  
/ / = written  
  
* * * * * *  
  
I inhale slowly, savoring the scent of burning flesh. The pungent scent of roasting human is quite unlike any other, a rare and intoxicating perfume that is to be savored on those occasions that one is fortunate enough to indulge themselves, either by action or chance. Suddenly, a skyscraper in front of me, ringed by palm trees and bushes, explodes with a thunderous explosion. The shock wave from the blast would be enough to send any person unfortunate enough to be nearby tumbling away like a rag doll. I should know. I set the charges that caused the explosion. How important can a company called 'Square' be, anyway? I stroll casually up to the still-warm rubble of the skyscraper that had dominated this part of the little island that I now walk upon until just recently. The perfume is so intense that it's staggering, especially with my sense of smell. I only wish that I could concentrate the smell and bottle it, that I might wear this scent as a testament to my glory.  
Finally, I open my eyes, which I'd had screwed shut for the explosion. My eyes are more than a little sensitive, and such a flash of light would surely destroy them. No matter. The sight of the semi-molten rubble is almost as intoxicating as the scent of this place. I pivot on my left foot, the heavy boot scraping loudly on the rubble-strewn concrete, and look around at my handiwork. Not a single building remains standing in this once-great city, nor a single human left alive, as far as I can tell. As wonderful as the perfume of death is, it deadens my nose to other scents, and though gazing upon the blasted rubble of these pathetic human constructs is like seeing the gates of Heaven itself, it provides many hidey-holes that a human could hide in. It is of no matter. Should one survive, it would only serve to heighten my glory.  
I sigh, knowing that my time here is up. As wonderful as this place now is, there are other places that I have to gift with my presence. Slowly, savoring every last minute on the now-dead city of Honolulu, I walk to the ocean, and dive in. My legs disengage, and fold into my body, and my twin water turbine engines kick in. They function much the same way as a jet engine does for a fighter, but these are made to work underwater. I relax and allow the powerful engines propel me toward my next target, which lies halfway across the Pacific. At my best speed, not more than two days away.  
Not nearly soon enough.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The man, huddled in the wreckage of what had once been his car, wondered if it was safe to emerge. This man in particular did not like to hide, to wait for the exacting toll that death would bring. His opinions and his job reflected that. He was, arguably, the best composer that the world had seen in generations, and was proud of the fact. He worked for one of the largest, most visible companies in Japan, one that had international renown. His name and work was known to people across the globe that had heard his music and idolized him, though they would never see his face.  
In his line of business, one had to have an exceptional sense of hearing. Thus, pressed up against the seat of his overturned, American-built Ford Taurus, it was the only way he could tell of the happenings of the outside word. There had been one explosion, followed by a string of them and, finally, one huge one that sounded like it had been very near. Afterwards, silence. A long and agonizing silence that told him that, though there was no more destruction, there was nobody else around to notice.  
Finally, restless, he pushed open the passenger side doorway and peeked out. The stench that immediately assailed him almost made him vomit, and the sight that assailed his eyes did the rest. Once he had recovered, he bared himself and rose from the wreckage of the American car, standing proud and tall, like a character from the games he wrote music for.  
The city was a wasteland, the incinerated and boiled-alive dead littering the streets, making it look like a war zone. This was not that far from the truth, the man supposed, looking at the ruins of the Hawaii headquarters of Squaresoft. Suddenly, movement caught his eye, and he turned to see a small, semi-humanoid form walking into the surf. The sun glinted off its angled head, and the man immediately recognized the source of the destruction of the city. He'd seen the shark-like monster earlier, just before it fired a blue ball that had blasted his car to wreckage. Now, as he watched, the creature dove into the water, it's fin sticking out of the water as it surged away from shore, angling towards the setting sun.  
The man thought about this for a few moments, his thinking processes dulled by the horrific damage that surrounded him. Suddenly, he remembered what lay, from here, in the west, where the sun set. He snatched his cellular phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial labeled '1' in Japanese. Some bored-sounding young girl answered it, and he cursed at her until she transferred him to the head of staffing, which was the best he could get without providing verification information that he couldn't remember.  
"Shin Kagami, head of staffing," a crisp male voice answered in Japanese.  
"Put me through to Hironobu Sakaguchi, now!" the man practically yelled into the phone, speaking Japanese as well.  
"The CEO? I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think that I can do that," the man replied, obviously miffed.  
"This is Nobuo Uematsu, Gods damn you, and if you don't put me through to Hironobu NOW, by all the powers in the Heavens, I'll have your job!" the man roared, losing what calm he had retained. The line was immediately filled with the sounds of years-old muzak as he was transferred. Finally, a bored-sounding man picked up the line.  
"Sakaguchi," he said simply. Nobuo liked Hironobu for his frankness and lack of patronization. Naturally, this only applied to his own company. As far as anybody else was concerned, he was as false a man as was ever born.  
"Hiro, it's me, Nobuo," Nobuo said, reining in his temper and speaking in a normal tone of voice.  
"Nobuo, so you've made it to Hawaii," Hironobu replied, his tone immediately brightening. Nobuo had no idea why Hiro liked him; few enough people did. Though he was brilliant, he was a hard man to work for, and this alienated many of his co-workers. "How is the work on the Tactics project coming?"  
"Couldn't say, Hiro. The building's been flattened," Nobuo said bluntly.  
"What?" Hiro returned, alarm seeping into his voice.  
"When I got here, some kind of metal monster came out of the ocean, leveled the city, and left. As far as I can tell, I'm the only survivor," Nobuo explained.  
"Nobuo, you're not making any sense," Hiro said, even though he knew that Nobuo was a no-nonsense kind of guy. He'd never made a joke, as far as Hiro knew, and would never even think of staging a practical joke, especially one of this magnitude. "Now, what came out of the ocean?"  
"Some kind of metal monster, or maybe a robot. I don't know. I only got a glance at it before it blew up my car. It blew up the rest of the city, building by building, then left. I saw it go back into the sea, headed westward," Nobuo explained, calming himself again.  
"Westward?" Hiro answered, his voice a little uncertain. Nobuo knew that the man had caught on to what this meant.  
"Yes, westward, toward Tokyo!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Nabiki pulled away from the basement's doorway and leaned against the wall next to it. Her mind was racing , set alight by Dr. Light's suggestion about Jakob's Law.  
she wondered.   
"So," she heard Ranma say. Quieting her thoughts, she pressed her ear to the crack in the doorway so that she could listen more clearly. "Is there anything we can do to pull them back apart?" Ranma asked.  
"I'm afraid not," Dr. Light answered, sounding truly regretful. "If things don't right themselves on their own, there's nothing that we can do about it."  
"Damn," Ranma cursed softly, almost beneath Nabiki's ability to hear. Neither one of the two said anything for a long time after that. Nabiki sank to sit on the floor, her ear still pressed to the doorjamb. "So," Ranma finally said. "What do we do now?"  
"Live, I suppose," Dr. Light replied. "As long as the Virus didn't make it into this world, there shouldn't be any real problems."  
"What virus?" Ranma asked.  
"Don't worry about it, Ranma. It's probably nothing that you'll have to worry about," Dr. Light answered.  
"Whatever, Doc," Ranma sighed, obviously miffed. Dr. Light seemed not to hear him, and silence descended upon the duo once again. "What did robots do in your world, doc?" he asked after a while.  
"Do you mean robots or Reploids, Ranma?" Dr. Light asked.  
"Is there a difference?" Ranma asked.  
"Very much so," Dr. Light said. "Robots, though they may possess sentience, are bound by specific codes of conduct that, no matter how much they may want to, they cannot violate. They must do what a human orders them to and, once given orders, cannot deviate from the specified task until it is completed. Reploids, on the other hand, can and do think completely for themselves. They accept orders if they want to, when they want to, and may ignore them at any time. They are unbound by the laws which govern robots, and follow only their own conscience. I believe that one person once described them as being 'humans in a metal body'."  
"So I'm a Reploid, right?" Ranma asked.  
"I should certainly hope so. After all, I designed you," Dr. Light joked. Ranma granted the bad joke a snort.  
"So, what did Reploids do in your world?" Ranma asked.  
"All sorts of things. Many were purchased by law enforcement agencies, and became police. Some were built to be scientists, and made some truly great discoveries. Others worked as secretaries, and other businesspeople," Dr. Light elaborated. "In the beginning, due to the great expense involved in creating them, a Reploid was only built to do a certain job, and mass produced with a predisposition towards that kind of work. However, as my original technology was refined, the costs involved dropped, and foundations were established for the sole purpose of building original, well-rounded Reploids to simply live and work, as productive members of society. Soon, the only mass-produced models were fighters and doctors, as most people found that Reploids were just like any other person, once you got past the body."  
As these Reploids matured, they found themselves desiring to join the workforce, to make something out of their existence. Many returned to the factories where they were built to have new, more appropriate bodies built for them. Those that became Generals in an army, for example, needed stronger, more lethal constructs than those that became diplomats, who had their own needs. Since most were intelligent enough to know how they themselves worked, many chose to design their own bodies. Needlessly to say, this brought both great versatility and great diversity. There wasn't a walk of life that one Reploid or another didn't call his or her own. In short, they did everything," Dr. Light summed up.  
"You like to talk, don't you?" Ranma asked sardonically. Dr. Light chuckled in response.  
"I suppose that I do," he agreed.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Above the icy plains of northern Siberia, a gleaming metal figure seemed to float through the air on soundless, motionless wings, searching for some un-nameable object. The dreadnought, for this construct truly feared nothing, moved slowly, as though he had all the time in the world. Indeed, he had all the time he needed. Those that knew he existed were loyal to him, would soon be as such, or dead.  
He was powerful; no doubt about that. He stood well over six feet tall, every inch of that devoted in some way to destruction. His lower arms, gleaming silver cylinders that tapered to a point at the elbow, had enough strength to crush a car like it was a pop can, and enough hidden firepower to incinerate that car and everything in a good radius around it. His upper arms, armored with nine silver bands each, further amplified his already staggering strength, and housed the powerful generators that powered the weapons in his arms. His chest was silver with purple inlay that wove in and around his whole upper chest, giving it the illusion of depth and waviness. The bottom of his breastplate, terminating above where a human's abdominal muscles would be, was a thick purple band that started where each nipple would be, were he human, and wrapped around his back. The front part, where his pectorals might be, was hinged, and housed even more hidden weaponry. Even he knew which robot had inspired his main body, but he held no resentment. He knew a good design when he saw one, and even more so when he inhabited one. The only aberrations were the twin rods jutting from his back, each glowing with blue energy. They were three and a half feet long each, and stood at a forty-five degree angle to his back.  
His 'stomach' was a model in simplicity; four bands of thick silvery metal wrapped around his midsection, the top one disappearing beneath his breastplate and the bottom vanishing beneath his pelvic juncture. The bands were thick, needing to protect the thunderously powerful fusion generator that generated the massive amounts of power that he needed to function in a fight. The amount of energy that the generator produced at full capacity could be used to power a small town. Even still, he needed the auxiliaries in his arms to supplement that, as the weapons he favored required a truly bestial amount of power them.  
The pelvic juncture, too, was simple in design, but far more complex in its function. The semi-triangular construct was fairly lightly armored, compared to the rest of him, but housed the power buffers that protected him from his own power surges. Though it was somewhat of a weak point, destroying the buffers would result in an explosion that would annihilate whatever managed to do so. Though it would mean the destruction of his body, the robot was not concerned. He had a backup copy of himself.  
His upper legs were armored like his arms, in banded silver, thirteen gleaming rings armoring his powerful legs from almost any conventional attack. His lower legs widened into boots, the smooth silver bordered by purple on the edges. They housed dash jets that could propel him to a land speed of over thirty-five miles per hour. They also contained the antigravity generators that would allow him to do so without ever touching the ground. His feet were small, just large enough to provide him with solid footing. They had sturdy rubber grips on the bottom for traction, and a large hole in the middle for his jets.  
Truly, though, the most dangerous part of the robot was his head. It housed the brain of a man/monster that had both the desire and the capability to slaughter any and everything that crossed his path. Modeled, in what had become a tradition for him, after a human's head, it was designed to be the most menacing face that his builder could imagine. It was completely bald, the light colored psudo-skin reflecting light as if it were real skin. His jaw was large, and square, and his ears were fairly small. His nose was, if anything, a bit large and regal-looking, in the sense of the regality of a warlord of a great army. He was large lipped, those lips locked into a near-permanent sneer over his pristinely white teeth. One look into his eyes, however, would dispel any impressions of the robot's humanity. They were perfectly round gems, the deep crimson color of drying human blood. They were matched by a vertical slashes of deepest purple that extended from his mid-forehead to the middle of his cheeks. In the center of his forehead was a round ruby, similar to those in his eyes, set in silver.  
After a time, it seemed that the war machine had finally found what it was searching for, and began a steady descent. Indeed, a speck of purple marred the pristine whiteness of the tundra, far ahead of the flying machine. As they drew nearer one another, its features came into focus, for it watched and approached the flyer as carefully as the flyer himself did.  
Its design was much simpler than the flying robot's. Its head was lupine, pointed sheets of purple-painted metal giving the it appearance of a wolf. It's shoulders and breastplate, a single piece, were heavy, and purple bordered with light blue. Its arms were silver from the shoulder to the elbow, where they once again became jagged, hairlike sheets of purple metal that terminated in three-inch-long claws. The arms themselves were longer than usual, hanging almost to the robot's knees. His legs were simple affairs, lightly built and highly mobile. Though fairly thick, the jagged purple metal that they were composed of, built in the same fashion as its lower arms and head, were amazingly lightweight and ended in razor sharp three-inch-long claws, like his hands. Overall, he had a feral look to him, the look of a hunter waiting to pounce.  
Soon, the silver robot landed in front of the purple. Now that they stand side by side, it is obvious that the purple one is much shorter than the silver, standing somewhere around five and a half feet. For a moment, the two looked at each other, examining one another for weakness. Finally, the purple robot knelt at the silver one's feet.  
"My Lord, it is good to see that you are still in existence in this world. So many of our comrades have vanished in the past few weeks," the robot said reverently, his voice a surprisingly deep tenor.  
"Get up. We don't have time for this kind of thing any more," the silver robot commanded. "Address me as Sigma. You are one of the few that survived. That doesn't make you worth the parts you're built out of, but you and a handful of others are all that I've got. What's your name and designation?" The purple robot rose, but kept his eyes downcast.  
"I am Arctic Wolf, Lord Sigma, a scout. My commander commended me three times for decision making in the heat of battle, and four for excellence in reconnaissance," the purple robot said.  
"Who was your commander?" Sigma asked, one part of his forehead where his eyebrow would be cocked, a bit surprised.  
"I served under Blizzard Buffalo during the third insurrection, shortly after I was Infected, and did not receive a permanent assignment after that. All my commendations are from Lord Buffalo," Arctic Wolf explained.  
"Impressive. Buffalo didn't like giving out awards," Sigma mused.  
"Thank you, sir," Arctic nodded.  
"I wasn't pleased when you called me out here. I was investigating something that may prove extremely important in the coming war," Sigma said, almost as if Arctic Wolf hadn't even spoken. His voice, though always sneering, sounded positively hateful while saying this, and Arctic Wolf cringed, fearing Sigma's temper. "However, you may be exactly what I need," he continued, and Arctic risked a hopeful look upwards. "Someone or something has been destroying Reploids in Tokyo. So far, the only times that that's happened were when humans were threatened. Go there and find out what it is."  
"You think that it might be..." Arctic trailed off, fear growing inside of him. There were few things that a Reploid feared almost as much as Sigma, and two of them were X and Zero, the living, breathing Grim Reapers of Maverick society.  
"X or Zero? Maybe. I'm not taking any chances. I would've won the first war if I hadn't underestimated them. I lost the second and third because Doppler and the X Hunters couldn't build a decent Reploid to save their lives. This time, though, I've got real power backing me," Sigma finished. "Inferno Phoenix and Typhoon Dragon have already gone Maverick, and Mine Boar will soon join them."  
"Three of the Hunter High Command," Arctic breathed, in awe. "What about Riptide Shark? If the other three made it, he will have too."  
"With three of the four and myself, there shouldn't be any problems. Besides, I have a stockpile of the Virus. If possible, I'll recruit him," Sigma explained. "Now get to Tokyo. I expect your first report there in two days. Keep me waiting and I will personally dismember you, piece by piece. Just because you're one of the Masters doesn't put you above my wrath." Stunned, Arctic Wolf could only stare at Sigma.  
"A... A Master? Lord, are you sure?" Arctic stammered. Sigma turned away from him before answering.  
"Blizzard Buffalo was one of the few things that Doppler did right. If Buffalo thought enough of you to commend you seven times, then you should be good enough. Just remember," Sigma warned, the rods on his back glowing red and beginning to roar. "Everyone else has proven themselves to me; you have not. Make one mistake and it'll be your last. With those ominous words, he blasted skyward, foregoing his usual silent flight for the speed that his fully powered flight could give him.  
Arctic wolf stood, silent, in the crater of melting snow that his master had left behind, still stunned. Finally, he turned and began to run in a southeasterly direction. As he did so, he dropped to all fours, his long arms matching his legs perfectly. Slowly, as things began to settle in, he began to grin ferally. Eagerly, he ran towards the coast; Tokyo was a long way away, and he planned to make his first report early.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Umm... Doc?" Ranma ventured after a few minutes.  
"Yes?" the Doctor replied.  
"I was just wondering... just how much like people are Reploids?" Ranma asked.  
"What do you mean?" Dr. Light asked in turn, confused.  
"Emotionally. Like, could one fall in love, or dream, or something, you know, the stuff that makes people people," Ranma explained.  
"Of course," Dr. Light answered. "Love was as common among Reploids as it was among humans. There were even a few cases where a Reploid fell in love with a human, and vice versa. Dreaming was also common among Reploids, though not as common as human dreaming. Usually, a Reploid didn't start dreaming until years after it had been manufactured. In other words, once it's personality core had stabilized. Do you understand?"  
"I think so, Doc," Ranma answered, thoughtful.  
"Why did you ask?" Dr. Light asked.  
"Huh? Oh, umm... just curious, I guess," Ranma said, his hand behind his head.  
"Seriously, Ranma. If it's a secret, I promise that I won't tell anyone," Dr. Light promised.  
"Well... okay," Ranma agreed. "Before the Apocalypse and whatnot, me and my Pop were on a really long training journey to master my family's school of martial arts. We ended up at a place called Jusenkyo."  
"Jusenkyo?" Dr. Light cut him off. "How interesting."  
"You've heard of Jusenkyo?" Ranma asked, surprised.  
"I have. In fact, it was one of the most intriguing finds of my time," Dr. Light admitted. "Unfortunately, that find ended what had been a dynasty of beliefs for the people that lived in the area."  
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked.  
"Everyone thought that the springs were magical in nature," Dr. Light explained. "However, under careful testing, it was found, much to our surprise, that the water was, in fact, a genetic symbiont. That's why a person 'cursed' in one spring can't become 'cursed' by another; the symbiont already has control and kills any intrusion upon it's host," Dr. Light explained. Ranma, stunned, stood silent for a moment.  
"Could you cure it?" he asked.  
"Given the proper facilities, yes. However, many tools necessary for the operation won't be invented for decades, and I don't have their schematics in my files. I'm sorry," Dr. Light apologized.  
"It's okay," Ranma said, sounding dejected. He said nothing after that, looking dejected.  
"You were telling me about your training trip?" Dr. Light prompted.  
"Oh, yeah. Well, we got to Jusenkyo, and me and my Pop were fighting there. Great place for aerial combat. Anyway, I knocked him into the spring of drowned panda. He spazzed and went after the guide, 'cuz he hadn't listened to the poor guy's warnings earlier. I was still on top of one of the poles. Suddenly, this weird feeling started in my stomach, like there was something in it tryin' to get out. It really hurt, and I lost my balance and fell into the spring of drowned girl," Ranma said.  
"So you become female with the application of cold water?" Dr. Light asked.  
"Uhh... yeah," Ranma agreed, after figuring out what the Doctor had said. "Well, after that, my Pop forbid me from doing martial arts, 'cuz I was both half-human and I was female when I was. Martial arts is all I really know, so..."  
"You want me to talk to him about your situation as a Reploid?" Dr. Light supplied. Ranma looked up, a hopeful half-smile on his face.  
"Would ya? I've been trying to talk some sense into him for weeks. Maybe he'll listen to someone who actually knows that they're talking about." Ranma asked.  
"I'd be more than happy to, Ranma," Dr. Light agreed. "However, I'd suggest that you wait until Akane is repaired."  
"No, really?" Ranma asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Geez, Doc, just when I started to think you were smart or somethin'..."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"No, no, no!" Inferno Phoenix exclaimed, smashing a fist on the steel tabletop that stood in front of him. Atop it lay the half-assembled shell of a Reploid.  
"What's wrong?" Typhoon Dragon asked from his position in the corner.  
"It's not going to work," Phoenix answered, annoyed. "His legs are too short, and if I make them any longer, they'll be unweildy."  
"He can't run fast enough, then?" Typhoon asked, lumbering over.  
"Exactly," Phoenix agreed, calming himself.  
"What about his turbine? With the repulsors, he should be able to use that," Typhoon proposed.  
"No good. I couldn't get decent materials for the repulsors, so he's only got a very general control of his height. The only way for him to be sure to be within striking range is to have them at their lowest setting. That means he'll only be a few inches above the ground," Phoenix said, shaking his head.  
"Meaning that an errant rock could cost him a leg," Typhoon finished. "What about a temporal acceleration bubble?"  
"A Mark I accelerator would be too big, and I haven't got a diamond of sufficient size for a Mark II," Phoenix negated.  
"How big of a diamond do you need?" Typhoon asked.  
"Big. At least twenty carats, and absolutely flawless at that. I need it for a lens to project the bubble. Anything less sturdy would fragment in seconds under the pressure," Phoenix answered. There was a hiss, and a small panel hidden in Typhoon Dragon's chest slid open. He reached in and pulled something out.  
"Will this work?" he asked, holding an immense cut diamond out to his comrade.  
"My God," Phoenix breathed, taking it carefully. "This must be at least fifty carats. Where did you manage to dig this up?"  
"I found it in the treasury of the Musk, after I annihilated them. It is an ancient treasure, predating even their dynasty. I believe it is called 'The Dragon's Eye'," Typhoon explained.  
"It's flawless," Phoenix said, as if he hadn't heard the words of the giant next to him. "Well, who says nothing good ever comes from a human, eh, Herb?" Typhoon was silent for a long moment.  
"You will not call me by that name again. Just as I would not presume to call you 'Saffron', I expect the same courtesy of you. You may use the gem for your creation; I have no wish for it's return now," Typhoon sneered, then turned and retreated to his corner. Phoenix was about to apologize, but decided against doing so. The Virus changed many things about a Reploid, but some, like Typhoon's inability to accept apologies, were immutable and unchangeable. Grinning, he returned to his work, pulling components from the metallic hedgehog's chest so that he would have room for the accelerator.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Slowly, Akane opened her eyes, the world coming into focus. Squarish clumps of blue, brown, and gray came together to resolve into Ranma's face, looking anxious and hopeful.  
"Akane?" he asked, worry in his voice. "Are you all right?"  
"I'm..." Akane managed, taking stock of herself. "Okay...," she said, with no small amount of surprise. "I don't get it. I should be trashed right now."  
"Yeah, you were. Thanks to Doc Light, though, you're gonna be all right. He's almost done fixin' ya up; that's why you can't move," Ranma said, his relief apparent in his speech.  
"Who?" Akane asked.  
"Dr. Light. He's this computer program in a big blue capsule that found you. He's a really great scientist, and I think he's figured out what happened with the Apocalypse," Ranma explained.  
"Really? Where is he?" Akane asked, intruiged.  
"You're inside of me, so to speak," an elderly voice answered. "I've put you inside of myself so that I could repair you.  
"Huh?" Akane asked, confused.  
"You're propped up inside the capsule so that the Doc can work on you," Ranma explained.  
"Oh," Akane replied, looking around. The inside of the capsule was a mass of jumbled wires and silver cables. On the top of the thing was a huge lens, with eight squarish lens-like windows placed around it. She couldn't see the bottom, since her feet were on top of it. Suddenly, she gave a lurch as one particularly large cable slid free from the back of her neck, a small, light grappler arm softly putting her long, black hair back into place.  
"There, that does it," Dr. Light said. "You should be able to walk now." Even as he was saying just that, Akane had stepped from the capsule, and was flexing her arm, testing it's mobility. Finding it to her satisfaction, she turned and bowed deeply to the capsule.  
"Thank you, Doctor. I owe you a lot," she said formally. Dr. Light's hologram popped up on the pad where she'd been standing, giving the two Reploids their first look at the aged doctor.  
"Consider the debt repaid," he replied, bowing equally as low as Akane did. "Just the chance to study your construction from the inside out was enough for me." Almost as one, they both rose. Ranma just smiled through the whole thing.  
"In any case," Dr. Light said, "About what it seems you have termed the 'Apocalypse.' I believe that, quite simply, it is an instance of Jakob's Law, which is... well, was more of a theory. Anyways, it states that-"  
"Natural disasters are caused by friction between parallel planes of existence," Akane cut him off. "We talked about it in science a few weeks before the Apocalypse. This guy Jakob had just published it, so we were discussing it in class."  
"Well, I'm glad that I don't have to explain," Dr. Light said. "It was hard enough to get Ranma to understand."  
"You mean that he was right?" Akane asked, more than a little surprised.  
"Surprisingly, yes. Though he himself suspected that his theory was false, he published it, in the hopes that his name would endure through the scientific ages. Imagine his surprise when, when he was on his deathbed, it was proven!" Dr. Light said, chuckling. Akane, conversely, was silent, thoughtful.  
"There's nothing that we can do about this, is there?" she asked.  
"About the planar meld? No. Unless things fix themselves, we're stuck," Dr. Light agreed.  
"Doc? I'm gonna go get my Pop, all right?" Ranma suddenly said.  
"That would be fine," Dr. Light said.  
"I'll come with," Akane declared.  
"Actually, Akane, I need you to stay down here tonight. I kinda told Nabiki that you were spending the night at Saryu's house, and if she finds out about Doc Light here...," Ranma trailed off.  
"She'll sell him to the highest bidder," Akane finished. "You seem to know her pretty well, for only having lived here a couple of days."  
"Let's just say that I think she's been taking pictures of me," Ranma said.  
"What makes you think that?" Akane asked. Ranma walked over to his backpack, which he'd dropped by the stairs. He pulled a small square of paper from it and tossed it to Akane. She looked at it, then immediately looked away, blushing.  
"Oh... my...," she muttered. "How'd she get this?"  
"I think that she's got a remote controlled camera rigged in the bathroom," Ranma explained. "Haven't been able to find it yet, but I'm looking. In any case, I'm gonna go get Pop. Why don't you hide somewhere, so that he doesn't see you and screw everything up."  
"All right," Akane said, moving to kneel behind a few old cardboard boxes that held party decorations. Ranma, meanwhile, climbed the steps leading to the main floor. When he opened the door, the hallway was empty; Nabiki had padded away when Ranma started to talk about coming up.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Hey, Pop," Ranma called, walking into the living room. His father was playing a game of Go with Soun, and did not look up at his son's summons. "Pop, I gotta talk to ya," Ranma repeated.  
"Then talk," Genma growled.  
"Jeez, what's your problem?" Ranma sneered. "Anyway, I want you to meet somebody. I think that he might have something pretty interesting to say about my curse."  
"I don't care," Genma replied, moving a tile.  
"C'mon, Pop. You made this a matter of Giri, and I think that I've found an answer. Gimme a chance," Ranma asked. Finally, Genma looked up from the board. "As a matter of honor," Ranma added.  
"Fine, boy, but this had better be worth it. I'll talk to this...," Genma paused.  
"Dr. Light," Ranma supplied.  
"... Dr. Light when I finish my game," Genma agreed.  
"Great! Meet me in the basement when you're ready," Ranma said, then left. Meanwhile, Genma sat and simmered, displeasure rising to cloud his face.  
"What is the matter, old friend?" Soun asked, seeing Genma's expression.  
"That boy... he's caused me so much trouble...," Genma trailed off.  
"What do you mean, Saotome?" Soun asked.  
"He's already been dubbed a 'bot lover' in his girl form. No matter who I try to arrange an omiai with, they all refuse. If this keeps up, Ranma'll be the end of the Saotome line," Genma explained. Soun nodded, having had his own problems in finding a match for his own daughters.  
"A martial artist's path is frought with peril," he agreed sagely. Genma nodded.  
"Too true, Soun. Too true..." Genma stated. Then, he pushed himself to his feet, moving a tile on the board. "Still, if this is anything less than a cure, the boy will pay, and dearly. That's game, by the way, Soun," Genma declared, making his way to the basement door. Soun, surprised, looked at the game board and found it to be so.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Genma descended the stairs leading to the Tendo basement neither quickly nor slowly. He wanted to resolve this idiocy as much as his son did. On the other hand, his life and what little was left of his honor were at stake in making Ranma male again, or at least human. No matter what, he had decided, he would satisfy honor this one time. Failure would mean supreme, ultimate, and complete dishonor. And a chance to grow... more intimately acquainted with his wife's katana.  
His son waited at the bottom of the stairwell, a hopeful expression on his face. Genma mentally snorted; the chances that the boy had found a cure were slim to none. Once he found that there was no realistic chance of finding a male fiancee for Ranma, Genma had practically moved into the local library, poring over every text that might even possibly have a hint of a solution to Ranma's... problem. The boy himself, of course, remained ignorant to his father's efforts. Regardless, there had been nothing in the library.  
"All right, Pop," Ranma said, leading the overweight martial artist over to what seemed to be a huge, misshapen cylinder. It had a number of cables and bulges on the top and bottom, while the rest was simply smooth glass.  
"What's this?" Genma asked gruffly. The capsule looked extremely technologically advanced, an aspect which he'd not considered in the search for a cure. His hopes lifted slightly.  
"I am Doctor Thomas Light," the thing spoke. Genma, surprised, took a step back, while the glass slid down. On the pad in the middle, a grayish hologram of an aged scientist resolved, then bowed respectfully to Genma. Stiffly, Genma returned the courtesy. "You must be Genma Saotome," the hologram spoke.  
"I am. Who are you?" Genma returned gruffly.  
"As I said, I am Doctor Thomas Light. I am the scientist that invented the Reploids, and Ranma has asked me to speak on his behalf," Dr. Light explained.  
"What's a Reploid?" Genma asked.  
"A robot that can think and act for itself. Essentially-," Dr. Light began.  
"What Ranma is, right?" Genma asked, cutting him off.  
"Yes. Now, as I was saying-" Dr. Light answered, but was again cut off.  
"Can you make him human again?" Genma asked.  
"Human?" Dr. Light asked, confused. "But he's been to Jusenkyo. All he needs to become human again is a little cold water."  
"I mean full time. If he's not completely human, or at least male half of the time, he is no good to me," Genma stated flatly.  
"What you're asking is impossible, Mr. Saotome. We simply don't have the technology yet. In a few decades, maybe, but not now," Dr. Light said, shaking his head.  
"Then why did you want to see me?" Genma asked, his voice cold and gruff.  
"I believe that the sentence you passed on Ranma for his curse is unjust. Reploids are humans, by all standards that matter. The only difference between them and humans is the fact that their bodies are made up of circuits and metal, instead of flesh and bone," Dr. Light explained.  
"He is a robot. When he isn't, he's a woman. Now...," Genma trailed off, his face coloring with rage. "He resorts to machines and lies to gain his freedom? Oh, the shame."  
"He is human!" Dr. Light shouted, having finally lost his temper. "And he deserves much more than what you've given him! I've known him for hours, and he has already gained a great deal of respect from me; more, I suspect, than you give him after knowing him for his entire life. Your son is not weak, Mr. Saotome. You are, because you don't have the strength to stand with him," Dr. Light accused. Genma suffered silently through the tirade, his face darkening to a shade of red usually only seen on apples. By the end, he was shaking with anger.  
"You side with this... machine?" Genma spat, turning to his son. Ranma, stunned at the display of emotion on both sides, merely nodded. Somehow, this seemed to calm Genma, because he stopped trembling, and his face resumed it's normal color.  
"Very well, then," Genma said, his voice calm. "Ranma, as head of the Saotome clan, I revoke the oath of Giri that I forced you to undertake. You may practice martial arts as often as you choose. However, you will never be the heir to the Saotome school of martial arts." Ranma's heart, or where it should have been, leapt for joy, but another part of him was cold, and he knew that that wasn't the end of things.  
"Why can't I be the heir?" Ranma asked. "I'm already better than you are, Pop." Genma didn't answer, but turned and walked to the stairs, his steps slow and deliberate. "Pop, why?" Ranma repeated. Genma, at the base of the stairs, paused. Finally, he spoke without turning to face his son.  
"The heir to the Saotome school of Anything Goes martial arts must be a Saotome," Genma stated flatly, without a hint of emotion. "As of now, Ranma, I officially disown you from the Saotome clan. You are unwelcome in my presence. I will return home to my wife, in the hopes that she and I can produce a true heir to our school. Never darken our doorstep." Ranma, shocked, stood with his mouth hanging wide open as Genma ascended the stairs out of the basement. The door at the top opened, then closed, leaving Ranma alone with Dr. Light and Akane. Nobody said anything; they were all too stunned. After a minute, Ranma fell to his knees, then to all fours, the strikes of his metal body against the concrete floor booming loudly in the silent room.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Flashfyre5 Presents  
A Flaming Amarant production  
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota  
  
The Opening Bet  
Chapter Six: The Death of Ranma Saotome, part 1  
  
  
" " = speech  
[ ] = panda board  
= thought  
/ / = written  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"I must thank thee, goodsir. Verily, I have never felt quite this capable," Tatewaki Kuno said, admiring his new body. It was less smooth than his old one, but it was much more heavily armed. His wings were no longer like a bird's; they were definitively mechanical, angular and sharp-edged. There was a sword jutting from each of his gauntlets, and his right hand was equipped with a beam emitter. His armor was heavier too, but his new wings could handle the load.  
"It was nothing, really," Inferno Phoenix said, admiring his work. He felt no particular pride in this one; it was reasonably powerful, but nothing truly special.  
"Now, what is the service that your master hath requested of me in return for your diligent work?" Kuno asked, turning to face Inferno.  
"Just some easy stuff. First, swallow this," Inferno instructed, handing Kuno a large, purple pill.  
"What be this for, I inquire?" Kuno asked, examining it.  
"It's a spin-sealed gas that some of your systems need to work at optimum efficiency," Inferno lied smoothly, smiling. Kuno, unquestioning, swallowed the pill and forgot about it.  
"What acts of greatness shall we now endeavor upon?" Kuno asked. He had a sick feeling in his gut, but he ignored it.  
"I don't know. We'll have to wait until Lord Sigma decides to come tell us," Inferno said, leaning against a wall.  
"Very well, then," Kuno agreed, sitting down. The sick feeling was intensifying, but he still said nothing. Time passed at a crawl. Inferno watched Kuno with an unwavering, unblinking stare. Kuno refused to allow the growing feeling of illness affect him, even though it had passed beyond his gut. Finally, he forced himself unsteadily to his feet. "I believe that there may be something wrong..." he choked out before his legs failed him and he fell to the ground in a heap. Inferno walked slowly over and watched Kuno's twitching, convulsing body.  
When it stopped twitching, he commanded, "Get up." Slowly, Kuno's body rose from the floor, using its wings to steady itself in a way that no human being could know. When the silver Reploid was finally upright, Inferno sneered," Is this what you call military respect and honor? You're facing a commanding officer!" Kuno's body immediately snapped to attention, losing its unsteadiness. "Better," Inferno granted, looking him over. "What's your designation?"  
"I am Sword Angel, Milord. At your service, naturally," Kuno's body said, its voice deeper and more respectful than it had ever been. Inferno Phoenix smiled, finally satisfied.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The cargo freighter Yuki-o sailed through the choppy waters of the Sea of China. At first look, nothing seemed out of order with the ship. It had a full cargo hold. It was so full, in fact, that there were boxes tied down on the foredeck. No damage was apparent on the freighter, and its tank was quite nearly full of diesel gasoline. However, if one were to examine it more closely, the facts would quickly become alarming. The first thing that became apparent was the smell of the boat. It reeked of spoiled fish, the smell emanating from the cargo hold and the crates on deck. Secondly, all the crates were labeled in Mandarin, and dated for export over a week ago. Finally, the deck itself had traces of blood on it.  
  
Something was not right with this ship.  
  
There were no crew members moving about on the ship. It had, in fact, been recently listed as stolen property by one Hiro Shikata. Further investigation would reveal that he was the owner of the ship, and that there were six murders under investigation in connection with the ship's theft. Hiro himself was laid up in the hospital, having suffered severe lacerations and a collapsed chest cavity caused, the doctors had concluded, by the application of almost 500 kilograms of force.  
At the wheel of the ship, though, was the most alarming thing of all. Crammed into the tiny cabin, Ryoga grasped the wheel of the freighter with his single hand. Checking his heading, he nodded. Another four hours would bring him to the shores of China. After that, it was a two-day trek to the Jusendo area, where Phoenix Mountain stood. The whole while, he was muttering to himself, his face twisted into a mask of rage.  
"...red devil gonna kill her and Ranma, can't forget Ranma, no, he started this whole thing damn him, own family won't accept me now gotta kill them both...," Ryoga growled as he drove himself into a downward spiral of ever-decreasing sanity.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Soun looked up as Genma walked out of the basement doorway. His expression was stoic, but Soun knew his best friend well enough that he could tell that the big man was hurting. His jaw was a bit too tightly clenched, his walk a little stiff, his eyes too fixed on something off in the distance.  
"What's wrong, old friend?" Soun asked, concerned.  
"Nothing that you can help with, Tendo," Genma said softly, closing the basement door. He stood silently for a moment, then said, "Tendo, it has been a true honor to know you, but I'm afraid that I must now leave," Genma finally declared.  
"Why, Saotome? Did I do something wrong?" Soun asked, dismayed.  
"No, Tendo, you did nothing. In fact, your family has done nothing more than make me feel at home," Genma shook his head, moving away from the door.  
"Then why are you leaving?" Soun asked.  
"I have disowned Ranma this evening," Genma stated flatly. Soun breathed a gasp of surprise, shocked to his very core. "My son is dead to me, now. It is not the place of the living to see the dead walking."  
"I... see," Soun said, once he could gather his wits enough to speak. "Do you want your things?"  
"No. I'll leave them as an offering to my son's spirit," Genma decided, slipping into his outdoor shoes. "I'm going to go back to my home, to face my wife. I will tell her that Ranma died at Jusenkyo. Perhaps I'll have a chance to father another son."  
"I...," Soun began, not knowing quite what to say. "Good luck, old friend," he finally decided on, bowing deeply to Genma.  
"You too, old friend," Genma replied in turn, bowing just as deeply. Without another word, he opened the front door and left the Tendo household.  
"Father?" Kasumi's concerned voice intruded upon Soun, shattering the moment. "Are you all right? You haven't moved for the last five minutes."  
"I'll be fine, Kasumi. I think I'll just go to bed a little early tonight," Soun replied. Keeping a tight hold on his emotions, he made his way to the stairs. Ignoring Kasumi's concerned look, he ascended them and entered his room, the room that he had once shared with his wife, Kimiko. He slowly, deliberately, closed the door, then leaned against it, finally allowing his tears to flow. Crying softly, he changed out of his gi and into a pair of pajamas. Then, he laid down in his large-enough-for-two bed and cried himself to sleep, mourning the loss of his best, and only, friend.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Pop..." Ranma choked out, smashing a fist against the concrete floor, sending a slim crack shooting a few inches forward. "Damn it, Pop. Why'd ya hafta go and do something like that? Why..." From his capsule, Dr. Light looked, speechless, at the pain he'd wrought. After a few painful minutes, he put the capsule on standby, shutting off the sight and sound of the hurting boy.  
"Ranma..." Akane said, slowly approaching his kneeling form. She had emerged from her hiding place as soon as the door had closed. She wanted to comfort her friend, but wasn't quite sure if he wanted to be comforted.  
"I just wanted him to respect me again," Ranma said, to nobody in particular. "He treated me like dirt, but at least he respected me. Is that really so much ta ask?"  
"Maybe, for him..." Akane said, kneeling next to Ranma. "You remember how my dad used to treat me when you got here?" she asked.  
"Yeah," Ranma said, looking at her.  
"It was just too much for him. He couldn't handle it," she said anyway. "Then you came along. You treated me like a person, not a machine. You showed him how to do it too. You even gave me the one thing that would've solved this whole mess."  
"Yeah..." Ranma said softly, looking away.  
"Ranma, you can't let him beat you. You're better than he is!" Akane said, leaning towards him.  
"Yeah, right," Ranma sneered. "He didn't get disowned, despite the fact that he's a thief, a liar, and a deserter."  
"So, what? He's a moron. What's his opinion matter?" Akane asked, pulling backwards.  
"A whole lot, since he's the head of the clan," Ranma answered, sitting back on his haunches. Akane didn't have a retort to that statement, so she remained silent.  
"So," Akane asked uncomfortably. "What now?"  
"Now?" Ranma asked, as if he hadn't thought of the future. "What do you mean 'what now'? Your dad'll throw me out now that Pop disowned me. I don't have anywhere else to go. There isn't a 'what now' for me anymore."  
"He wouldn't!" Akane exclaimed, defending her father.  
"Wouldn't he? You remember how he used to treat you," Ranma said. "He'd just throw me out with all the other trash. 'Sides, I might as well be burakumin, thanks to my Pop. If I stayed, it'd screw over your family reputation majorly."  
"But..." Akane trailed off, not knowing what to say in response.  
"It's okay, Akane. I'll spend the night down here, then leave in the morning. Just forget I was ever here," Ranma said, pushing himself off the floor. His face had some kind of fragile determination etched on it.  
"What are you going to do?" Akane asked as Ranma turned and walked over to Dr. Light's deactivated capsule.  
"Something I should've done a long time ago," Ranma replied cryptically.  
"Ranma..." Akane said, worried. Ranma slowly sat down in a corner adjacent to Dr. Light's capsule.  
"There's this really tall cliff in southern Honshu, near Osaka. Almost three hundred feet tall. It's beautiful, and plunges right into the sea. Always was my favorite place. Pop let me train there for almost a year, when I was eight," Ranma said, almost nostalgically. "It looks like the sea meets the earth meets the sky. It's far from civilization. Nobody ever goes there. 'Least I won't cause anybody any more pain," he finished softly, almost speaking to himself. "G'night, Akane," he said, his eyes drooping closed.  
"Ranma..." Akane said again, feeling guilty. She knew that he blamed himself for not being able to help her against Ryoga. It killed her inside to know that she had only added to the pain that Ranma was feeling. "Damn it, Ranma, I just want to be your friend," she finally said, kicking the blue Reploid the leg. At the resounding *Boom* that it made, she cringed, hoping that nobody noticed. When nobody came to investigate, she relaxed and sat down with her back to Dr. Light's capsule /I hope he gets better,/ she thought to herself, then suddenly realized something.  
"When did I start to think of Ranma as a guy?" She wondered aloud. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head and activated her own sleep cycle.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Jeez, Saotome," Nabiki muttered to herself from her position near the basement door. She'd had to dive for the cover of the nearby furo when Ranma'd come up the stairs, and later, when his father had exited. Shaking her head, she got to her feet, and leg muscles that had been, for the most part, unused all day immediately sent her a very powerfully worded letter of complaint. Summoning her willpower, she ignored them and walked up to her room for the evening. However, as she passed the kitchen, her stomach decided to let her know that it too had been neglected, save for a pitiful offering earlier that day, consisting of a small fudge sundae. Though Nabiki Tendo was rarely a person to be commanded by anything, she decided to let her stomach have it's way this time, and made a detour for the kitchen.  
"Why, hello, Nabiki," Kasumi greeted her, startling the younger girl out of her thoughts.  
"Huh? Oh, hey Kasumi. What's up?" Nabiki asked, walking over to the refrigerator.  
"Did you hear about what Mr. Saotome did?" Kasumi worried, leaning against the stove while rubbing her hands with a towel.  
"Yeah. Idiot," Nabiki said, pulling out a couple of onigiri to munch on. "He's got no idea what he just did to Ranma."  
"What do you mean, Nabiki?" Kasumi asked, looping her towel through the oven's handle.  
"I've been watching Ranma, and from what I can tell, honor and his father have been the only thing that's kept him going.  
"I thought that he didn't like his father," Kasumi said, confused.  
"He hates the guy. That's the point. Ranma's been running on the idea that he'd be able to find a way to beat his old man at his own game. Now that Genma's disowned him..." Nabiki trailed off, taking a bite out of her first onigiri.  
"Oh, my," Kasumi agreed. Suddenly, a resounding *Boom* echoed through the house, and Nabiki shook her head.  
"I don't know what Ranma's going to be like now, but I'm not sure that I want to know," Nabiki mused.  
"I don't know, Nabiki. Ranma's a very strong person. I think she'll be able to make it through this," Kasumi disagreed. "It's Akane that I'm worried about right now."  
"Yeah. She probably blames herself for this whole mess. Thanks, Daddy," Nabiki said sarcastically, biting through the pickled plum at the center of her snack.  
"Oh, heavens no!" Kasumi exclaimed, shaking her head. "Akane wouldn't blame herself. Ranma's been so much help to her with that. But... those two have become so close over the past few days. If something were to happen to Ranma, who knows what Akane might do." Nabiki was silent for a moment, considering this new facet.  
"You know, Kasumi, you might be right," she agreed. Nabiki finished off her onigiri and picked up a second, chewing thoughtfully. After a few moments, Kasumi picked up a broom and began to sweep the kitchen, a chore that she'd traditionally reserved to be the last thing she did before going to bed. "Now that I think of it..." Nabiki finally said. "I might be able to help them." Her course decided, she picked up her plate of snacks and left for her room.  
"Good night, Nabiki," Kasumi called to her as she left the kitchen.  
"'Night, Kasumi," Nabiki replied, climbing the stairs. Quietly, so as not to wake her father, whom she assumed was sleeping, she slipped into her room and shut the door behind her. Collapsing onto her bed, she set her plate down next to her phone, which she immediately grabbed. From memory, she punched in a number and waited while the phone rang.  
"Hello, Iwata residence," a voice finally sounded from across the line. It sounded slightly out of wind, as if someone had dashed to get the phone in time.  
"I catch you at a bad time, Kenji?" Nabiki asked, cocking an eyebrow.  
"I was in the shower. What's up, and why couldn't it wait till morning?" Kenji asked. Nabiki heard him sit down and slide something, most likely a pad of paper, across a flat surface.  
"I'm pulling you from the rumormongering squad. I need you to find some way that Ranma and Akane can live easily, at least for a little while," Nabiki explained, twirling the phone line around her finger.  
"Why? I thought you said that they could handle things," Kenji asked, confused.  
"Something changed," Nabiki replied flatly.  
"That big, huh? Can I ask..." he trailed off.  
"No. Back to business. What can you do for Ranma and my sister?" Nabiki asked.  
"Don't know. Not much, at least without help from the rest of the team," Kenji answered. Nabiki could almost see him shaking his head. "I could find some place for them to vacation to, but that'd be an obvious and temporary fix. Could run recon on what other nasties might be out there. Can't think of much else that I can do with the kind of money that I've got, Nabiki. My dad's rich as Hell, but I haven't gotten a yen of it since I dyed my hair."  
"Was it really that expensive?" Nabiki asked, skeptical.  
"Let's just say that I could be driving to school with what my hair dye cost me," Kenji replied. "There's real silver in the dye."  
"Jeez...," Nabiki trailed off in awe. "No wonder you dad was pissed."  
"He said that I had to work under you to learn just how hard money is to come by. Personally, I don't know what he's talking about. We sure don't have any trouble bringing it in," Kenji joked, eliciting a chuckle from Nabiki.  
"Yeah, I guess," Nabiki replied, thinking of just how little extra money her family had after the mortgage payments on the dojo. "Anyways, I guess that running recon is your best option, but keep that vacation idea open, all right?"  
"I'll do what I can, Nabiki," Kenji agreed.  
"Kenji?" Nabiki said.  
"Yeah?"  
"Be careful. I don't want anybody getting hurt, you least of all," Nabiki cautioned, sitting up.  
"I will," Kenji replied solemnly. "Where would you be without your human lie detector, eh?" Nabiki just smiled and shook her head.  
"Good night, Kenji," she said.  
"Good night," he replied in turn, hanging up. Nabiki dropped the receiver of the phone in its cradle and picked up her plate of onigiri again, thinking. Finally, after eating the last one, she gave up and undressed, then went to bed.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Genma sighed and took in a sight that he'd not seen in over a decade: his home. It looked exactly the same as it had when he'd left it, except for the flowers out front. Nodoka had maintained a beautifully manicured garden at the time that he'd left, but now it seemed to have been neglected. He hoped that Nodoka hadn't taken the long separation too badly. Regardless, he walked up the pathway and knocked on the door. He wasn't sure why he did; it was his house, after all. For some reason, though, it just felt like the right thing to do.  
Behind him, the sun peeked its way over the horizon, and Genma silently cursed his lack of foresight. He'd left all his supplies for Ranma. Thus, he didn't even have enough money to buy fare on the subway to make the trip to Juuban. Forced to walk, it had taken him all night to arrive at his house, and he was tired. He knocked again.  
"Who is it?" called a voice from inside the house.  
"It's me, Nodoka. It's Genma," Genma replied, recognizing his wife's voice at once.  
"Genma? Come in, please," Nodoka called. Heartened by the hope in her voice, Genma entered. The first thing that he noticed about the house was that it was dark. All the lights were off, and all the windows had shades drawn over them. He removed his outdoor shoes while looking around.  
"Nodoka? Where are you? I can't see," he called, stumbling over a stool in the hallway.  
"I'm right here, Husband," Nodoka said, her voice right next to Genma's ear. "Follow my voice, and we'll go to the dining room to talk."  
"It's good to hear you again, Nodoka. I've missed you dearly," Genma said, smiling.  
"And you, Husband. Tell me, where is Ranma?" she asked, moving away from him. Genma immediately followed, biting his lip at the fact that Nodoka had come to the hard part so directly.  
"I...," he started, following her footsteps. "I don't know how to say this, Nodoka," Genma said, shaking his head.  
"Oh, no," Nodoka said. Genma could hear the worry in her voice, and it hurt him deeply that he would have to lie to her to save both Ranma's and his own lives.  
"I'm so sorry, Nodoka. He died while we were training in China," Genma said his voice catching at the lie. Nodoka didn't seem to notice, as she was wracked by audible sobs. He moved to embrace her, but she flinched away. Genma stepped back, knowing from experience that it was best to allow her to make the next move.  
"H-how?" she asked after a minute of crying. Genma, too, at this point, was beginning to shed tears. He realized that they had arrived at the dining room, and found a place at the table to sit. It hadn't moved an inch since he'd left. He could hear Nodoka moving to take a seat at the other end of the table.  
"We were sparring at an accursed training ground. I had hoped that our skill together would be enough to outweigh the curse, but...," Genma trailed off, trying to keep as closely to the truth as he could.  
"Did he die as man among men?" Nodoka asked, as if some immensely important piece of her sanity depended upon the answer, one way or another. Genma thought back to his journeys with his son, and all that had befallen them. He thought of his son, doubly cursed, to be both a robot and a woman, and how he'd given up his chance at acceptance for a stranger. He thought of many things, his tears coming harder as he continued.  
"In all the ways that matter, he was a man above men. If it weren't for the damned training ground...," Genma finally answered. His declaration sent Nodoka into another series of sobs, but Genma sensed the subtle pride that was interwoven with her grief. he thought.  
"I... I'm glad," Nodoka finally managed. "It's been so long, Husband. Do you know how hard it's been to keep going these past few years?" she asked rhetorically. "I've missed you so much."  
"I've missed you too, No-chan," Genma said honestly.  
"I'm glad, Husband. We've been apart for too long," Nodoka stated, and Genma found himself nodding in agreement. "I only wish that our son could have been here with us," she continued, her voice choking with emotion. Genma was just barely able to keep himself from telling her the truth then and there, but something inside of him told him that it was for the best.  
"I... I don't know what to say, No-chan," he finally muttered.  
"There's nothing that you can say, I suppose," she returned. "A mother and her grief. So stereotypical that it's sickening," Nodoka said aloud, almost to herself.  
"No-chan, don't beat yourself up like that," Genma pleaded. Somewhere inside, he was wondering what had happened to the exuberant, proud woman that he'd married, but he ignored that part of himself as best he could. His wife was hurting, and it was his duty as her husband to alleviate it.  
"Why shouldn't I?" she almost spat, shocking Genma. "I'm so horrible that my own family deserts be for ten years. Ten whole years! You never once wrote to me, Genma. Not once," Nodoka accused. Genma slumped a bit, hanging his head.  
"I wanted to fulfill my side of the contract as best I could. That meant that I had to train myself as well as Ranma. I wanted to write you, to call you, but...," the big man trailed off. "But that was a weakness, and I had to be strong for Ranma's sake. I made you a promise, No-chan, and that's the only promise that really matters to me," he finished in a rush. "You know that I'd take any amount of dishonor and shame for your sake."  
"I...," Nodoka tried to start, but had to swallow her own emotions first. "Thank you so much, Genma."  
"I'm so sorry, Nodoka. Maybe I was wrong in wanting to train Ranma like I did. Maybe not. Only the Gods know the answer to that," he mused in reply. She rose and walked over to Genma, then kneeled beside him. For a long minute, the two looked at each other sillhouettes. Meanwhile, Genma wondered if his ears weren't going. He could swear that he heard a subsonic whine beginning to build. Finally, as if she could contain herself no longer, Nodoka threw herself into Genma's arms. Immediately, as Genma clasped his arms around her back, he knew that something was very, very wrong. Nodoka's arms around him felt like blocks, and her back was entirely too hard, and full of sharp angles.  
"Then perhaps we should go ask them," Nodoka whispered, placing her steel lips on her husband's fleshy ones. Meanwhile, the whine had built to a crescendo, and Nodoka performed the last action that she had ever wanted to. With a roar, Nodoka's fusion core overloaded in a fiery holocaust, the blast designed to reduce herself and anything nearby to their component molecules. The shockwave from the explosion leveled the house and caused significant damage to neighboring ones. A shockwave accompanied the thunderous explosion as it rent the early morning air, setting off car alarms and shattering windows for blocks around.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma jerked forward, breaking his sleep cycle abruptly. He blinked a few times, trying to calm down, even as he got his breathing under control.  
"Mom...," he muttered. "Jeez, what a dream."  
"'Bout time you woke up," Akane said with a tired half-humor. She had walked around the corner into the alcove where the hot water heater and Dr. Light's capsule were housed while he was recovering from his dream.  
"Yeah. A real sleeping beauty, huh?" Ranma asked sardonically. Akane chuckled a bit, a smile alighting on her face.  
"I guess," she agreed, shaking her head. "You feel like getting out? There was an explosion down by Juuban. I want to check it out."  
"You think that Ryoga might be back?" Ranma asked  
"Uh huh," Akane nodded, a worried look on her face. Ranma rolled his eyes, and Akane burst out laughing. The morning light, shining through a small window, struck her from behind, giving her an almost angelic appearance. Ranma was silent for a moment, then saved the image to a backup memory drive. For some reason he couldn't identify, the sight of Akane, standing there with the sun to her back and her helmet underneath her arm struck him like nothing else ever had before.  
"All right, all right. It wasn't that funny," Ranma grinned as Akane finally got her giggles under control.  
"Yes, it was," Akane argued. "It's just so... you."  
"Huh?" Ranma asked, confused.  
"You know, how you always try to make everything better," Akane explained. "I'm so worried about Ryoga and you're trying to make it seem less important."  
"Whatever," Ranma gave in, pushing himself to his feet. "Let's go."  
"All right," Akane agreed, sliding her helmet over her head and pulling her wild ponytail through its slot.  
"Ranma, would you wait for a moment?" Dr. Light suddenly called. Ranma turned to face the capsule, surprised that it was active.  
"What's up, Doc?" he asked, his left leg on the first step.  
"I'm sorry for what I did last night," Dr. Light apologized.  
"It's okay," Ranma said, a half-grin springing to his face. "You were just tryin' to help."  
"Regardless, I feel that I owe you a favor. Come here; I have plans for an upgrade," Dr. Light commanded.  
"Huh?" Ranma said, turning around and approaching the capsule.  
"I was constructed to give you enhancements, should you need them. There are three other capsules, scattered somewhere around the world, each designed to give you a specific modification. I am the fourth, and I contain an enhancement for your legs. If you step inside, I'll upgrade you, as my way of apologizing," Dr. Light explained. Ranma looked at Akane and shrugged.  
"How long will it take?" Akane asked, wanting to investigate the explosion.  
"Just a few moments, I promise you," Dr. Light reassured her. Akane looked back at Ranma and returned his shrug. Ranma half-grinned and turned to face Dr. Light.  
"Sure, whatever you say, Doc," Ranma said, stepping up onto the base of the cylinder. Once he was inside, the glass wall of the capsule smoothly rose up to encase him. It closed with a hiss, and the pad beneath Ranma's feet began to glow brightly. Four lenses moved down along the sides of the capsule, stopping when they were level with Ranma's feet. Then, they began to spin around him, as the pulsating lights sped up. The base of the pod shone even more brightly, and issued forth three large black metal bars and one smaller golden one. Each bar came out of the floor in front of one of the lenses, each of which immediately released a beam of incandescent energy. The metal slowly shattered apart, but remained floating in the lower area of the capsule. Once the bars were completely dissolved, the lenses ceased the firing of their beams and began to spin at increasing speeds until one could not be told from another. Then, they each fired a beam of snowy white, these beams striking Ranma. Where these beams struck, the black and gold metal particles immediately moved to affix themselves, molding and re-molding themselves to form a new skin of armor atop the old. The lenses slowly moved up his legs, stopping at his knees. There, the beams dissipated, the lenses stopped, and the lights fell dead. Slowly, almost jerkily, the glass of the cylinder lowered itself, and Ranma stepped out, admiring his new 'boots.'  
"Whoa," Ranma breathed, twisting and contorting so that he could get a better view of his modified legs. "Akane, did you see that?"  
"Yeah," confirmed an equally surprised Akane.  
"Ranma, you are now equipped with dash jets similar in design and manufacture to Akane's," Dr. Light cut in, his hologram flickering to life. "In addition, you should be able to use them to maintain a hovering position for a short time. Naturally, they also serve as increased protection for your lower body," he continued. Suddenly, his hologram dissolved into static, then slowly re-formed itself. "I'm afraid that I've drained my power reserves, Ranma. I've only a few moments left. Thank you for allowing me the chance to meet you both, and I wish you and Akane a happy and long life," Dr. Light said, his hologram flickering into static. One by one, the few lights still lit within the capsule flickered and died, until even the critical power reading displays had too little energy to remain lit. Ranma and Akane stared at the capsule in stunned silence. Finally, Ranma stepped forward and placed his right hand on the capsule wall.  
"Goodbye, Doc," he said quietly. "And thanks for everything." Ranma took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then turned and walked towards the basement stairwell purposefully. After a moment, Akane turned and followed him. On her left cheek, defying whatever conventions that her blueprints had dictated, a somewhat grainy drop of liquid was slipping away from her eye. It splashed to the ground, allowing the iron suspended within the teardrop to settle to the concrete floor, unnoticed by anyone.  
  
  
* * * * * *  
  
And now, for any followers of the series, a special treat! Here's a preview of Chapter 7!  
  
Flashfyre5 Presents  
A Flaming Amarant production  
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota  
  
Iron Tears, formerly known as The Opening Bet  
Chapter Seven: The Death of Ranma Saotome, part 2  
  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ranma opened the basement door quietly, stepping up and out of the underground room as quietly as he could. Though he refused to allow anyone, especially Akane, to see it, he had a gaping hole inside of him, a hole left by Dr. Light's death and his own father's... actions. He could still barely comprehend the enormity of what his father had done. Still, he had Akane to think about. Resolutely, he kept a cheerful smile plastered on his face, determined that she, at least, would be happy. As he moved away from the basement door, he heard Akane coming up after him, not bothering to be so quiet. /She's probably right,/ Ranma thought, glancing out a window at the predawn city of Tokyo. /Nobody'll be up this early./ Regardless, he moved stealthily towards the front door.  
"Morning, Ranma," a chilling, female voice commented casually from behind him. Ranma froze, cursing himself, and turned to face the one person that he had hoped to avoid this morning.  
"Morning, Nabiki," Ranma replied to Nabiki, who was sitting calmly on the stairs in a blue robe, holding a steaming cup of tea.  
"Morning, Akane," Nabiki greeted her sister as she rounded the stairs.  
"Morning, Nabiki. Why are you up so early?" Akane asked, oblivious of the lie that Ranma had spun earlier.  
"Just waiting for you to get home from Yuka's," Nabiki said as she sipped her tea, trying desperately to hide her smile.  
"Huh?" Akane asked intelligently as Ranma buried his face in his hands.  
"You know, Yuka, your friend, at whose apartment you just spent the night," Nabiki taunted, keeping her tone serious and her cup in place. Akane glanced back at Ranma, saw his reaction, and quickly realized that this was not the time to tell the truth.  
"Oh, right, Yuka," Akane lied, laughing lightly. "Yeah, we had a great time."  
"Could you be any less convincing?" Ranma asked flatly.  
"Well, you didn't even bother to tell me," Akane hissed in reply. Faced with all this, Nabiki couldn't retain her composure and burst out laughing.  
"Jeez, you two are rich," Nabiki finally said, once she got herself under control. "Seriously, though, you don't need to lie to me. I heard everything last night."  
"Everything?" Ranma asked, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
"Pretty much," Nabiki confirmed. She took another sip of tea, then looked at them both seriously. "Whatever else happens, you two be careful."  
"We will, Nabiki," Akane said, walking to the door. "C'mon, Ranma. Let's go."  
"Yeah," he agreed, turning to follow her out.  
"Hey, Ranma," Nabiki called after Akane had left.  
"Yeah?" he asked, halfway out the door himself. Nabiki had gotten up and followed them to the door, and now stood mere inches away from Ranma.  
"Don't go screaming off the deep end. My little sister's gotten a lot better since you got here, all thanks to you. I don't want to see what would happen if you left," Nabiki said quietly, praying inside that Akane couldn't hear her. "You've always got a place here, even if I have to throw out Daddy to make sure of it." Ranma was struck dumb by Nabiki's words; he simply had nothing to compare this kind of generosity to. "Now get out of here, you. Akane's waiting," Nabiki said, smiling. Ranma returned the smile and slipped out the door, shutting it behind him with a soft *click*.  
"What kept you?" Akane asked, standing at the front gate.  
"Nabiki just had something to say. C'mon, I'll race you to the train station," Ranma challenged. Akane merely grinned in reply, and the two fired their dash jets, arrowing for the nearby building.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Nabiki shook her head as she heard Ranma and Akane blasting away from the house. She turned from the front hall and slowly made her way into the dining room, where she sat down and continued to nurse her tea and think. She turned facts and ideas over in her mind, discarding some and setting others aside for further examination. There was no real pattern to her musings, but she always came back to the great enigma that Ranma and Akane's relationship seemed to be. The two seemed to change to a different dynamic with each passing moment, moving between friends, friendly adversaries, shoulders for each other to cry on, just to name a few. There were others that Nabiki had identified and a few that she was still unsure of.  
"Good morning, Nabiki," Kasumi's cheerful voice suddenly greeted her. Nabiki nearly jumped out of her skin with surprise, then turned to face her older sister.  
"Jeez, Kasumi. Don't sneak up on me like that," she teased, clutching at her heart. Kasumi had to stifle a chuckle, and Nabiki grinned widely.  
"You were so deep in thought," Kasumi said, moving to sit next to her sister at the table. She was dressed in a robe identical to Nabiki's, except for the fact that it was white.  
"Yeah, I know. It's just fun to poke a little fun at you when I can," Nabiki agreed. "So, what's for breakfast?"  
"Oh, I don't know," Kasumi said, sighing. "Maybe some okonomiyaki?" she suggested.  
"That," Nabiki said, her smile growing wider, "would be just heavenly. We haven't had okonomiyaki in ages."  
"Then I'll get started," Kasumi agreed, rising. Suddenly, the phone rang, and the eldest Tendo daughter immediately moved to get it.  
"I'll get it, Kasumi," Nabiki said, getting up. "You go make breakfast." Kasumi nodded, and walked to the kitchen while the phone rang a second time. Nabiki walked over to it and managed to pick it up before it rang a third time.  
"Tendo residence," she said simply.  
"Boss, it's me," Junko's harried voice sounded across the line.  
"What's up? You're calling awfully early," Nabiki said, her voice quiet. She knew that her elder sister frowned upon her 'business' dealings, but there was a mortgage to meet and bills to pay.  
"We got trouble. Word on the street is that your sister and her friend caused the school's destruction. Me and Hitomi don't like this one bit," Junko announced roughly.  
"What about Aiko?" Nabiki asked.  
"Haven't heard from her since yesterday. Kenji said that he's got other things to do, so it's just us two," Junko replied. Nabiki bit her lip and twirled the phone cord around her index finger. "Boss, this aint good," Junko continued after the silence. "If this keeps up, you're gonna have the cops bangin' at your door in a few days."  
"I know," Nabiki replied, silently thankful for the non-intrusive nature of the Japanese law enforcement system. "All right, here's what we do. You and Aiko go out and find some kind of proof that there was someone else in the area. I'll see what I can do to prove that Sis and Ranma aren't crazy," Nabiki decided, pushing the cord off her finger.  
"And leave Hitomi alone with the rumor business?" Junko asked skeptically.  
"It'd be a moot point that you're spreading rumors if my sister's in jail," Nabiki replied. "Find evidence. Soon."  
"I'll do what I can, Boss," Junko agreed, hanging up.  
"Do better," Nabiki said to the dead phone line, then hung up.  
"Who was that, Nabiki?" Kasumi asked from the kitchen.  
"Nobody," Nabiki replied, walking over to join her sister. "Absolutely nobody."  
  
* * * * * * 


	7. Ranma and Hobbes

Author: Merc-for-Hire  
  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Calvin and Hobbes is   
the creation of Bill Watterson. Divine Right is the creation of Jim Lee and   
belongs to WildStorm Comics.   
  
Divine Right is just used for my bet contestant though, so no need to be   
familiar with the comic book, though it's always fun if you are. ^_^  
  
This is a Ranma 1/2 & Calvin and Hobbes fusion entry for the 2nd Bet. That   
said, if you're still reading, please send C&C to mercforhire@ranmamail.com   
  
Legend:  
"" Speech  
'' Thoughts and panda signs  
Imaginary conversation. Ranma and Hobbes only.   
  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
Ranma and Hobbes   
  
-Prologue-  
  
Max Faraday yawned as he went down the stairs of his beach house. Watching his   
slacker butt get into gear, no one except for a select group of people would   
even know or consider him to be the god of their specific reality as they knew   
it.   
  
Snapping open a can of Whak soda, he trudged along to the door of his and   
Suzie's beach house to get the day's mail.  
  
"Bill, bill, bill, yet another bill...For the love of...what's with all the   
bills? We couldn't possibly have bought that much stuff and... hello!" Max said   
as his sleepy eyes snapped to attention as he felt something batting at his   
leg. Max looked down to see a grinning cat next to his leg.  
  
The cat raised it's paw at Max and said, "Hello to you too! I'm Toltiir!"  
  
Max started blinking for a few seconds, causing the cat to snicker, "What's the   
matter kid, cat got your tongue?"  
  
Max almost mechanically turned around, looked up the stairs and shouted, "Suze?   
Have you been watching Sailor Moon while I'm sleeping again? I think I created   
another talking cat from my subconscious!"  
  
It was Toltiir's turn to blink, as a girl upstairs shouted back a response. "No   
I haven't Max! All I've been watching was Ranma 1/2!"  
  
A short pause. "You wouldn't have by any chance done something from -that-   
series, Max?"  
  
Max and Toltiir both sweatdropped as a giant panda lumbered by them to the   
kitchen, grabbed a can of Whak soda and raised a wooden sign stating, "I'm just   
a cute little panda enjoying his cool refreshing Whak soda!"  
  
"I hope not, Suze!" Max quickly shouted back, still staring as the giant panda   
walked off into the closet.  
  
Toltiir cleared his throat as best he could to get Max's attention back. Max   
blinked as he remembered the talking cat.   
  
"Okay... that was certainly interesting," Toltiir said as one of his grins   
began to adorn his catty face. "And this is sure to mean you'll have a good   
entry for the bet!"  
  
"Bet? Who or what are you?" Max said, still confused about the cat.  
  
The cat leaped into the air and bapped Max on the head before landing back on   
the ground. "Pay attention! Honestly, the gods these days just don't respect   
their elder gods."  
  
"Uhm...elder god?"  
  
Toltiir sighed and then clapped his paws together. Suddenly Max and Toltiir   
were no longer at the door of the beach house. Instead they were floating high   
above Mimir's well.   
  
"Okay, use that divine right thingie of yours to download the knowledge you   
need, make an entry, yadda, yadda. In about a year, we'll tell ya if you won   
the booby prize or something, okay? Foxie'll take care of ya. I'm off to look   
for more participants. Ta ta!"  
  
With that, the talking cat disappeared, leaving Max in mid air. Max was about   
to use his powers to just teleport back home and dub this event as another "too   
many taco diablos with extra sour cream" dream, but curiosity got the better of   
him. Accessing his powers, his eyes began glowing blue before he closed them as   
his entire body was enveloped in a silver blue coating. Ten seconds later his   
eyes opened and he grinned. This bet thing sounded fun. He floated downward and   
next to the fox, who pointed him at the well. Max went to the well and two   
seconds later, another bet entry was formed.  
  
Great Fox just sweatdropped as he saw the changes Max had made before banishing   
from the area and back to where he came from. "Well, I did want diversity I   
guess..."  
  
***  
  
Ranma pounded his fist backwards into the wall as he was forced to back into   
it. 'This reaaalllllyyyyyy sucks...'  
  
Those after him sneered, pounding their fists together to look more menacing.   
In Ranma's eyes it was working as he saw all the other students moving wide   
around them and generally moving far, far away from him. 'No help from them I   
guess...'  
  
Ranma quickly realized they were surrounding him. 'Crap!' Ranma stared all   
around. Things didn't look good for him.   
  
There was only one thing left to do.  
  
"I am Ranma Saotome of the Saotome Anything Goes School of Martial Arts!" Ranma   
stated, his voice ringing loud and clear, betraying no fear or nervousness.   
  
Shifting to a stance unknown to his opponents, yet obviously a martial arts   
stance, he began grinning cockily, causing the others to temporarily take a   
step backwards before shifting their eyes. Saotome had to be bluffing. He'd   
never shown this much backbone before. And even then, he couldn't take on all   
of them. Could he?  
  
And in fact...he was indeed bluffing. Ranma knew without a shadow of a doubt   
what the outcome of the immediate future was gonna be. He'd been learning   
martial arts for a while now, but group fighting...  
  
Ranma closed his eyes in thought. He had no way to win with regular attacks.   
But regular attacks weren't all he knew. Not by a long shot.  
  
That said, he decided to implement his dad's fearsome secret technique, a   
technique so powerful that if executed correctly, left it's victims temporarily   
frozen in their tracks. It was a one time gambit he had been told and should be   
used with extreme care and only in times of dire need. He took one quick look   
around again. Yup, this probably qualified.  
  
"Saotome Secret Technique!" He shouted, pushing his arms outwards and bending   
his knees, pointing him in the direction of one of his enemies.  
  
As his opponents braced themselves, shocked that Saotome could potentially be   
able to beat them, Ranma jumped a bit into the air, shifting his position...and   
landing only to run past his opponents. As Ranma left the stupefied opponents   
behind he shouted backwards, "RUN AWAY!!!"  
  
Ranma ran hard and fast. His opponents would have started to chase after him   
any second ago. He ran faster.  
  
His dad had said that after running away, there were two important steps to   
follow. Think and attack. It was the great secret of the technique. You ran,   
thought of a way to fight back and attack when they weren't expecting you.   
Ranma however was only thinking of the first part. 'Gotta get away, gotta get   
away, gotta get away, gotta...oof!'  
  
Of course, it helped to watch were you're headed.  
  
As it was, Ranma's pursuers caught up.  
  
And surrounded him.  
  
Successfully this time.  
  
An imposing figure moved forward and stood next to the dazed Ranma on the   
ground. It was Ryouga. All around bully and the bane of his elementary school   
life. Well, secondary bane when put next to the school itself. Nothing could   
possibly ruin school as much as being there. There was absolutely nothing fun   
about it. Ranma stared up at the grinning faces above. Nothing.  
  
"Hey Twinkie, it ain't nice to trick people! People think they're just stupid   
idiots then! Why their feelings coulda been hurt! I'm afraid I'm gonna have to   
charge you extra for today's stunt..." Ryouga drawled out. Somehow Ranma   
thought running away had made things worse and Ryouga's statement confirmed it.   
Ranma doubted anything else could confirm it as well as Ryouga's statement.  
  
Ryouga cracked his knuckles, his buddies chuckling while they made sure there   
was no escape for Ranma.  
  
Ranma sighed. Well that was a worse confirmation.  
  
***  
  
"Hey Twinkie, it was nice doing business with ya!" Ryouga said, laughing as he   
and his buddies moved on to their classrooms. His buddies, of course, were   
leading Ryouga to the ropes that led him from class to class without getting   
lost as he moved along the school's corridor.  
  
Ranma grumbled as he rubbed his arm and went on his own way. That idiot Ryouga   
was an annoyance, but he'd learned to live with annoyances. Ranma sighed. Yeah   
right, whom was he kidding? Ranma began rubbing his slightly bruised arm all   
the more. It was at times like this that he wondered why he'd ever thought it   
would be funny to mess with Ryouga's direction rope that day. Okay, so it was   
funny for a little while, but the comparative ratio of laughs to bruises just   
didn't work out in Ranma's mind. And losing his lunch money sucked too. Today's   
special was pizza for the love of god. They usually just had bread this or   
bread that. He was gonna have to take some drastic measures about Ryouga.  
  
A stick slammed down on the desk, narrowly missing crushing his fingers, and   
causing him to snap to attention while shouting, "Hokkaido! Amaterasu! 7!   
Tokugawa!"  
  
Ranma hadn't even noticed he'd gotten back into class.  
  
As the rest of the class snickered, Ranma's frazzled nerves settled back into   
normalcy, or what passed for it. Then again, one look at the teacher's face   
took care of the nerves again. "Hall. Bucket Duty. NOW..." was all that the   
teacher had to say as Ranma scurried for the buckets and out the door, leaving   
the snickering classmates behind.  
  
'I hate school...'   
  
***  
  
Ranma growled as he stared at the design he was working on. In an attempt to   
summon a god from the whirling vortex that would be formed out of the intricate   
design he was making, he'd failed to remember that the design he made would   
only work as long as it was not corrupted. And a liquid such as water was not   
going to maintain its form for long before it spread out, damaging the design.   
He blamed the teacher for being so cautious not to let him swipe a piece of   
chalk. Teachers never understood his genius. Why he'd created this design   
completely out of his mind. Whom else could say they were capable of creating a   
vortex of summoning?  
  
Both an old woman in China and an old man trapped inside a mountain, sneezed.  
  
Still, the fact remained that he'd have to work quickly, or risk the water   
dripping, and damaging the design. He'd have to work quickly if he was going to   
have an audience with whatever god this would summon. "Capasellum. Alternati.   
Illuminati!" he shouted, stretching his arms wide as he did so.  
  
As a bright light flashed out of the design, Ranma noticed a single drop of   
water in the middle of the design. The bright white light suddenly sputtered   
and began shifting towards darker shades of colors, finally settling on a   
crimson red. The crimson light all centered into a pillar outstretching upwards   
from the design. Ranma watched the beam carefully, prepared to fight or run   
from whatever came out of it. But nothing came out of the beam. Instead it   
twisted one more time, directing itself to wards the door of his classroom.   
  
Ranma's eyes widened as he saw the door slowly morphing under assault of the   
crimson light. When the light finally died down, a foreboding black steel door   
stood in its place, adorned by red dripping blood as well as skulls and bones   
around the door's edge. And then it began to open.  
  
A green oozing claw grabbed the edge, showing Ranma all he needed to know. He'd   
summoned the gates of hell. He looked desperately for a weapon and settled on   
the bazooka lying by his side. 'What luck!'  
  
He tried to fire as he began seeing the drooling fangs and crimson eyes   
reflecting in the darkness behind the door. Nothing happened. 'Damn! Out of   
ammo! Some luck!'  
  
Ranma threw the bazooka at the monster as he began sprinting down the corridor   
and off to freedom.  
  
The door creaked completely open, as the teacher stepped out to fetch Ranma   
back into the classroom. At the very least to keep him quiet where she could   
watch him. Only to be forced to watch a bucket heading towards her head.   
  
"Ack!" was all she managed to squeak out as she narrowly dodged to the side, the   
  
bucket clanking against the wall of the classroom. She shouted back inside,   
"Sit down and start reading again! There's nothing that concerns you kids out   
here! GOT IT???"  
  
Watching the kids quickly scramble back into her seats, she looked down at the   
corridor. Ranma obviously wasn't there. Only a swirling mess in the floor, a   
bucket lying on the floor, the other obviously in the classroom, signified   
Ranma had been here recently.   
  
The teacher slapped her hand onto her face, covering it for the short while   
that it took her to count slowly up to ten. "That child is gonna be the death   
of me."  
  
***  
  
Ranma put the nastiest scowl as he was dragged along the floor of the school   
corridors. He'd wiggle and try to escape as he was dragged towards the   
principal office by the back of his shirt, but he didn't want to risk being   
dragged by his hair should he fail to escape. The teacher had no sense of   
humor. It wasn't his fault she'd been possessed by a low level demon. How was   
he to know that bazookas scared them easily? Coward demons. Why, they'd been   
scared by a stupid little bazooka and leaving him to take all the punishment.  
  
Ranma noticed they'd stopped. In front of the principal's office. He was in   
trouble again.   
  
'I -REALLY- hate school...'  
  
***  
  
Ranma trudged along the rain, his hood flapping wildly from the wind. With or   
without the hood it seemed he was gonna end up wet today. Life just stunk   
sometimes. Well as soon as he got home, he'd just relax with Hobbes and watch   
same cartoons. Of course, having had a lousy day, Ranma chose this of all days   
to forget Hobbes habit of a special 'greeting.' So the results were obvious. As   
soon as he shouted, "Tadaima!" while opening the door to his home, he was   
bowled over by a fuzzy and cute lean tiger...that was at least three times his   
size. They rolled fourteen times before friction forced them to come to a halt.   
  
Hobbes asked as he stood upright, hugging little Ranma whom   
he'd picked up. Any thoughts of eviscerating the tiger disappeared with the   
hug.  
  
  
  
-End Prologue-  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes: When Flashfyre5 made the challenge to write something different   
from the usual x-over or fusion, I didn't think much of it at first, it was   
just another gimmick to get more fics out there. And yet, the other day I was   
going through some Calvin and Hobbes strips and a scene came into my mind about   
Ranma having Hobbes around.   
  
Somehow, just somehow, I convinced myself to write this as a fusion entry for   
the 2nd Bet. I guess the gimmick worked. To Flashfyre5, I can only say that I   
hope this has the diversity you were hoping for. ^_^  
  
So what can you expect? Well as you can guess, the first part will deal with   
Ranma's childhood. As can be seen from the prologue, Ranma's not a very good   
fighter yet. The childhood is a very "Calvinized" Ranma, except for the fact   
that Ranma is overall a nice guy, just mischievous.  
  
Then I'll deal with the training journey itself and later, Nerima as well. As   
he gets older, he'll develop more of what the original Ranma was while keeping   
some of Calvin in him. Including a lifelong bond to Hobbes.  
  
~Merc 


	8. Silent Water

Subj:** Silent Water [2nd bet] Part 1 (unedited by prereaders)**  
Date:9/1/01 4:29:52 AM Central Daylight Time  
From:deepquote@hotmail.com (deep quote)  
To:FlashFyre5@aol.com  
  
Mirmir's well. The place of great wisdom, and a place of a great deal of mischief.  
  
  
  
Recipe:  
  
2nd bet Entry...  
  
  
  
1 part Ranma 1/2   
  
1 part Silence of the lambs  
  
1 FUBAR  
  
  
  
Place in blender and hit Frape!  
  
Pour into Mirmir's well!  
  
  
  
and you have........  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Silent Water  
  
by   
  
DeepQuote   
  
This and my other works can be found at Http:\\www.deepquote.f2s.com  
  
Author's note: The NPA is the National Police Agency and it is the only "official" Japanese law enforcement agency I could find.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma 1/2 and related characters do not belong to me, and are used here without permission strictly for entertainment purposes. This story was partly inspired by Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.  
  
  
  
  
  
"When I wish to find out how wise, or how stupid, or how good, or how wicked is anyone, or what are his thoughts at the moment, I fashion the expression of my face, as accurately as possible in accordance with the expression of his, and then wait to see what thoughts or sentiments arise in my mind or heart, as if to match or correspond the expression."   
  
~Edgar Allen Poe "The Purloined Letter"  
  
  
  
Step.  
  
Step.  
  
Step.  
  
  
  
Ranko Tendo cursed silently to herself as her footsteps echoed through the empty hallway, announcing her arrival to the inmates held in the cell block. This wing of the prison was beyond maximum security, it was specially created to house inmates of "Special" circumstances. The wing was a prototype designed to test the effectiveness of a prison system solely based on the maximum security level and beyond. Housed within these wall were some of the most dangerous criminals in the entire world, and within this hallway was the most evil of them all.  
  
The neutrally colored walls were constructed of a carbon polymer designed to look like concrete, but have the strength and durability of 10 inch steel. In addition to the cheapened cost of the synthetic polymer walls, the coating of the wall made them easily to clean and added some additional residence to attempts to destroy the walls. The clear coating was a silicate based compound used to clear up the synthetic polymers only weakness... heat. The compound was capable of withstanding great amounts of heat and energy when applied to the walls. Combined with the advances in the prison construction, a state of the art surveillance system, and individual inmate tracking chips, this particular wing of the prison was as close to inescapable as any prison was.  
  
  
  
Despite the technological assurances of the prison, Ranko was still on edge. This place unnerved her, and why it did that she did not know. Someone who didn't know her would just put it aside as she was scared. They didn't know her, Ranko Tendo didn't get scared, she got even. Those that did know her would say she was alert, ready for whatever was going to happen. The warden of the wing, Dr. Kuno had assured her that escape was impossible. Ranko didn't believe him, she was ready for the impossible.  
  
With each step continuing to echo down the hall, Ranko continued on towards her destination. She was here to visit the most deadly man on the entire planet. A serial killer that had taken the combined forces of the NPA and Interpol to catch. She was here to talk with the very man this cell block was created for. Ranko had not even graduated from the NPA academy and she was already walking to the darkest recesses of the prison system. While continuing down the hallway, Ranko noticed a slight chill beginning to develop, as if all of the heat in the far end of the hall was being sucked away. The cold brought an involuntary chill to her bones, as she thought back to the beginning, back to the day she got the assignment....  
  
  
  
~FlashBack~  
  
  
  
Tokyo, Japan. NPA Academy.  
  
2 Days Earlier...  
  
  
  
Palmstrike, Left sided dodge, Dragon tail....  
  
  
  
This kata was one of Ranko's favorites, it helped her relax, and it also earned her reputation among her fellow classmates. When Ranko first started doing katas early in the morning, she found two male admirers watching for their own benefit. The men were given a close and person demonstration of the kata. The female students, however has a different attitude to Ranko's katas: they were affectionately named "Slow motion ass-kicking".  
  
  
  
There was no admirers this morning, there were no distractions and Ranko's mind focused on her art. Water flows, Wind flys, and Ranko seemed to do both during various parts of her kata. This deadly but beautiful dance soothed Ranko it lulled her into a sense of peace. It also gave her evidence... Evidence that she had control of herself and her body. Oxygen filled her lungs, and Instincts flowed among split second decisions as one kata became another.   
  
  
  
  
  
"Tendo."  
  
Gone. No more grace, no more flow, and barely any control. The flawless form of anything goes was stopped by a single word as Ranko fought to regain her center before reacting to her company. She fought desperately, only to regain the control shattered by a single world.  
  
"Tendo"  
  
Biting back her tongue, Ranko flowed into an improvised ending to her workout bringing her face to face with her company.   
  
  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
  
  
"Takahara wants to see you in his office, pronto."  
  
  
  
"Yes, Sir. Sir, you wouldn't happened to know why would you?"  
  
  
  
"Sorry Tendo, but I don't. I'm just the messenger. I suggest you report to his office immediately."  
  
  
  
"Yes, Sir!"  
  
Digging her feet into the moist earth, Ranko sprinted forward, her leg racing as she sped off toward the other end of the campus. The wind flowed through her wild hair as Ranko bounded through the campus with speed usually reserved for Race cars and fighter jets. It was only a matter of minutes before Ranko reached the main doors of the Behavioral sciences offices. Upon entering the building, Ranko adapted a more civilized pace of walking, as she composed herself, and tried to look as presentable as possible.  
  
She nodded politely to the agents and staff that she passed, as Ranko winded her way through the various nondescript offices that made up the Behavioral Sciences Division. Ryu Takahara was the director of behavioral sciences, and he was her mentor. Takahara was the finest profiler the NPA had, and he single handedily led the NPA And Interpol to the downfall of the most notorious serial killer of the modern day.   
  
The Wild horse.  
  
Finally arriving at her destination, Ranko waited politely for Takahara's secretary to address her before attempting to enter his office.   
  
"Ms. Tendo."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Mr. Takahara wants to see you immediately, please go right in."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Consciously aware of her cautious pace, Ranko enter Hackwood's office. Upon entering, idle thoughts of what she must look like bundled in her regulation PT sweat suit all covered with sweat. With her close and wild hair, Ranko was quite sure she looked wilder than even her name could express.  
  
  
  
Ryu Takahara's office was like any other you would expect to see in the behavioral sciences division. Manila file folders sat on the desk piled among pictures, maps, and forms burying the desk. Even the walls seemed an extension of the buried desk as multicolored push pins held many of the same items to the walls.  
  
"Ms. Tendo. Its good to see you. Please sit down."  
  
"Thank you, sir. um..You wanted to see me?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, Tendo. I did. I have a job for you. You know you come highly recommended by your instructors for this assignment. And, I recall you giving me quite a had time on my views of primitive instincts in serial killers."  
  
  
  
"Yes, Sir. I remember you being most adamant about the fact that most serial killers are methodical in their madness, not animals of instinct."  
  
  
  
"Correct and most of the research the bureau has collected on serial killers in custody support my theory. Well, I should say All of them except one support my theory. He refused to cooperate, and I know that if he did his insight would be more valuable than all of the other data. I'm sure you've heard of him... Dr. Ranma Saotome..."  
  
  
  
"The Wild Horse."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Yep, that's him, and I want you to interview him. So far he has refused to cooperate with any attempts to categorize him. Saotome being a Doctor of Psychiatry he knows exactly how to block our attempts to understand him. He knows better than anyone both sides of the human mind, the sane, and the insane."  
  
  
  
"I've read about Dr. Saotome many times before. The FBI marks him the most dangerous serial killer ever. Even before his capture and murder, Dr. Saotome was a renowned psychiatrist, what makes you think he will talk to me? What can I do that a agent can't do?"  
  
"You can agree with him Tendo."  
  
"Agree with him sir?"  
  
  
  
"The reason you were picked for this assignment is actually simple, Tendo. Saotome believe just as you do on the primitive mind. He published a philosophical article shortly after his capture called "The nature of the beast.". With that similarity I believe you have an insight into him no one else does. Use that insight to talk to him, connect with him. In essence, Tendo I am giving you a chance to prove me wrong."  
  
"Prove you wrong how sir?"  
  
"Get Saotome to talk with you, learn his method, or Tame his beast if you prefer, but find out what makes him what he is."  
  
"What is he, sir?"  
  
  
  
" A predator."  
  
  
  
"Tendo, I've booked you on a flight to Tokyo. I have here a copy of Saotome's file, an expense account, and a special ID for you. The flight leaves in a few hours, I suggest you go and pack. '  
  
"Thank you, sir. I'll do it. I will bring you back some insight into Dr. Saotome."  
  
Takahara chuckled. "Good luck Tendo. One last thing. Get inside his head, but don't let Saotome into yours that is when he is really dangerous."  
  
  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
That was how, Ranko ended halfway around the world in a hi-tech prison visiting the most dangerous man on the earth.  
  
  
  
The last cell was quite different from the others. Instead of the standard issue bars, the front of the cells was encased in what appeared to be a clear version of the Synthetic steel with large air holes in it, along with what appeared to be a sliding drawer. Among the walls, Various drawings, and pictures lined the walls. The far corner held a large canvas depicting a scene that seems vaguely familiar to Ranko, but she couldn't place it. Small pools of what dotted a slopping valley as endless bamboo poles stuck out of the pools in the foreground and the fog in the back ground.  
  
Within the cell, stood an immaculately dressed young man, his black hair pulled into a ponytail falling over his solider. Upon closer inspection, you could tell it was almost if not a single hair was out of place to put the man's appearance to any less than perfect. Upon noticing the ponytail, the redhead tugged nervously at her pigtail before speaking. Her voice booming forth from her small frame as she tried to exude confidence.  
  
  
  
"Dr. Saotome. I am Special Agent Ranko Tendo; I'm with the NPA and We'd like to ask you a few questions."  
  
  
  
"Welcome, Wild Child. I know who you are. Warden Kuno informed me I had a visitor coming. I naturally suspected good ole Ryu Takahara. How is he by the way?"   
  
"Agent Takahara is back in the states doing his job Dr. Saotome."  
  
"I see. I didn't expect him to send someone else. So Wild Child it is a pleasure to me you. You must forgive me, if I don't shake your hand. I'm incarcerated at the moment."  
  
"At the moment, Dr. Saotome? It sounds like you plan on escaping from this inescapable cell block.'  
  
"Plan? Wild child. no. no. no. no. I know I will escape. It is only a matter of time and opportunity. Now, What do you want from me, Agent Tendo. Did Ryu Takahara send you down to analyze me? Or does he need new insight on chasing that new one... Cane. I believe his name was."  
  
Ranma lips turned into a cruel smirk as his grey eyes seemed to stare unblinkingly at the young agent before him.  
  
Pausing only to place her bag on the floor, Ranko stepped forward to the entrance of the cell. She stopped no closer than an inch away from the glass before she spoke.  
  
"Dr. Saotome, You don't frighten me."  
  
  
  
"hahahaha..." he chuckled. "That my child is not the problem." Dr. Saotome mimicked   
  
Ranko's motions as he placed himself exactly opposite from her inside the cell. He leaned forward, his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke.  
  
"I scare myself."  
  
  
  
Stepping back, Ranko Stumbled taken aback by the frank answer from the madman. That was not at all the response she had expected from him. Steeling herself, Ranko reached into her small purse. She pulled forth the Questionnaire, she had been given.   
  
"Dr. Saotome, As I'm sure you know the agency often conducts studies in order to understand the criminal mind, and I was hoping you'd...."  
  
"Tut, Tut, Tut. You were doing so well. You've been polite, courteous, and even forthright by telling me you are unafraid me and , now this... this half-witted attempt to get me to take a... a.. Survey. No. No. No. this will never do... And I had such high hopes for you wild child. You may go now."  
  
  
  
"What would you have me do Doctor? Hold up a mirror and ask you what you see? You tell me your scared of yourself, why won't you tell me why? Too afraid to look at a real monster? No man is the judge of another, Doctor. The only one should be examining is yourself."  
  
"Good-bye, Wild Child."  
  
"Fine." Ranko hurriedly gathered her purse, and straighten her appearance before regarding the young man once more.  
  
"Good-bye, Doctor."  
  
  
  
Step.  
  
Step.  
  
Step.  
  
  
  
Just as her heels had announced her arrival to the cell block, they announced her departure just as loudly. About halfway down the hall, Ranko shiver involuntarily. She heard something that sounded like water. A bucket of water to precise. The mere thought of the cold clear liquid sent shivers down Ranko's spine as she continued out of the cell block. Calming herself Ranko managed to hold onto her fear until she heard a strange battle cry come from her right side.  
  
"SWEETO!!"  
  
Seconds after the strange outburst, the cells occupant, a Japanese pervert named Happosai threw cold water from his water pitcher through his cells bars at Ranko. The pervert's beady eyes became riveted to Ranko's white blouse searching for some source of perverted enjoyment.  
  
Ice cold water, chilling her to the bone covered her right side, as Happosai cackled maniacally at her discomfort. The cold grip of the water struck her by surprise and her body continued to shiver as the water dripped down to the floor.  
  
"Aaaaaaaa!!!!!!"  
  
The cold liquid gripped Ranko stronger than anything. It's icy grip struck fear into her very being. The feel of cold water brought a vision of a small pool with a bamboo pole, and for reasons unknown Ranko hated this place with a vengeance. Caught up in the swirl of emotions brought on by her assault, Ranko almost failed to noticed the doctor calling for her.  
  
"Ranko!" "Wild Child!"  
  
  
  
"Come back!"  
  
  
  
Racing back from the cold water, Ranko took in the warm sounds of the Doctor's voice and once more presented herself before his cell. The water still dripped down her pale face, as the water made her clothes stick to her body. Ranko watched the doctor try to slip his mask of control back on as his eyes glanced over her body trying to insure she was unharmed.  
  
Stammering more from nervousness than the temperature, Ranko spoke.  
  
"d...d..Doctor?"  
  
  
  
"My humblest apologies, my dear. I would rather that not have happened to you."  
  
  
  
"Then help me doctor. Fill out the survey. Make this humiliation worth my time." Ranko demanded sensing a opportunity.  
  
"I'll do more than help you, Wild Child. I'll give you Cane's head on a plate."  
  
"Cane, doctor? What do you know about him?"  
  
"I know that if you are a good little girl, and travel through the looking glass just like Alice, you will find what motivates our mad Mr. Cane."  
  
"Through the looking glass? What do you mean, Doctor?"  
  
"As the American say, Let you fingers doing the walking young Ranko and you will know what I am talking about. Now go, Wild Child. I don't think the old fart will be expecting you so soon. Now go!!!!"  
  
  
  
Sliding the survey into Ranma's cell, Ranko slipped off her heels and tore down the cell block, and out of the building.  
  
  
  
Later that evening, Ranko began to read over Dr. Saotome's file.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Saotome, Ranma Age: 25  
  
Born: November 12, 1976 at Tokyo General hospital to Nodoka and Genma Saotome.  
  
Graduate Furikan High School 1994  
  
Tokyo University Ph.D. in psychiatry  
  
MD General Practice   
  
Initial Evaluation of Subject upon admission to NPA Maximum Security asylum  
  
  
  
  
  
Subject's early life:  
  
Ranma was taken from his mother at the age of 6 to be taken on a 10 year training journey by his father.  
  
Known mental trauma:  
  
At the age of 8, Ranma suffered an intense mental and physical trauma at the hands of his father. Ranma's father sought to teach Ranma a forbidden martial arts technique that had been banned because it eventually drove any trainees in the technique crazy. It is this past event which boiled over the course of Saotome's life, and would later cause him to descend into madness.  
  
Approximately 8 years later, Saotome developed an unknown condition he refers to as a "Jusenkyo curse" Supposedly, this condition cause Saotome to change from an average Japanese male to a fair skinned, Redheaded woman. While, I have never personally witnessed this metamorphosis, there are numerous pieces of evidence, and sworn eye witnesses accounts to support Saotome's claim of changing gender. It is my believe that Saotome's confusion over his identity, and the addition of the past pain inflicted by his father caused Saotome to revert to an animalistic state, and act violently upon his victims. I believe this animal is an active part of Saotome's psyche and is only held at bay by Ranma's conscious mind.  
  
I do not believe however, that Ranma can control his animalistic side indefinitely, I think that he can only hold the beast at bay for a limited amount of time. Further more, I believe that Saotome may even be encouraging his beast on a subconscious level. By using his inherent charm and grace, Saotome secures people to release the beast on. Saotome tracks his victims carefully selecting the time and place to release his dark beast and enacts its vile desires on innocent victims.  
  
8/08/01 Tatewaki Kuno  
  
  
  
  
  
To Ranko, there was something not quite right with Dr. Kuno's evaluation of Ranma. To her it seemed an overly complex way of calling Dr. Saotome a fouls sorcerer who used his good looks to charm people. Why she equated the description Dr. Kuno gave with foul sorcerer, Ranko didn't know. The other paper in Dr. Saotome's file were a mess. It was a myriad number of photos, maps, misc. reports, and other pieces of police paperwork. The first item to catch Ranko's eye was a small manila envelope labeled "seventh victim ???" According to newspaper reports, and various other sources Ranko had only heard of six victims supposedly slain by the insane doctor.  
  
Opening the envelope, Ranko emptied its contents onto the hotel desk. Three small evidence bags fell to the desk. Also in the envelope was a single page report folded in half. Taking up one of the bags, Ranko noticed a small broke piece of green rock, that appeared to be hand carved. The bag was labeled "Broken Jade hair ornament" The next bag contain several strands of hair, which were purple in color, and seem to have blood on the end of them. Taking a guess, Ranko thought this might be unidentified hair from one of the crime scenes. Intrigued by another piece of the mystery, Ranko looked at the final bag. It was a photograph, more accurately half of a photograph. The picture showed 1 older gentleman, three young women all standing next to a red-haired person who had been torn out of the photograph.   
  
The gentleman, Ranko recognized instantly it was...  
  
"Pop?" "What am I thinking, I only know this guy by Ranma's file."  
  
  
  
Genma Saotome was the man in the photograph, next to him stood two of the Doctor's one time fiancees Ukyou Kuonji and Nabiki Tendo. The third woman, Ranko did not recognize, her hair was purple and was braided back in a simple style by 2 jade hair ornaments. The young woman's stance was confident, and very assertive. The young woman's attention however was directed at the person who had been torn out of the photograph. Picking up the hair sample, Ranko compared the hair to the color of the unknown young woman; it matched perfectly.  
  
Who was this girl?   
  
What did she have to do with Dr. Saotome?  
  
And who was she staring at beside her?  
  
This evidence piqued Ranko's curiosity as she sat staring at it silently. Looking to the bottom of the photo, she noticed a small label underneath the purple headed woman. Xian pu.  
  
"Grrrrrr........"  
  
Before she even realized it, Ranko had tensed up. Her muscles were fully alert, ready to face the danger. A low growl spilled from Ranko's throat as she stared at the small label.  
  
  
  
Xian pu....  
  
Xian.....pu.  
  
Shan pu  
  
  
  
Shampoo.  
  
  
  
An involuntary shiver traveled down, Ranko's back as she managed to relax for a moment. Ranko could not remember ever meeting the young woman. But deep inside of her, Ranko despised her. The emotions bubbling forth were not what Ranko was accustomed to as Ranko decided the purple-haired mystery woman unnerved her, unnerved her bad. Ranko placed the contents all back in the bag, save for the lone piece of paper, which she slowly unfolded.  
  
It was a plain white piece of paper with the words   
  
Xian pu missing believed dead. Possible 7th victim of Dr. Saotome.  
  
Time came and went as hours flew by. Ranko enjoyed her work and she was quite good at it. she put herself in another time and another place and simply walked around. It was quite simple really, all that was needed was placing oneself into another person. That is exactly what she did. Ranko mentally became Dr. Saotome, with his good, his bad, and even his ugly. Slowly and methodically, Ranko pieced together the experience that helped shape Dr. Saotome. Ranko shared Ranma's joy at his tournament victories. She mourned the lonely look in his eyes even when he was surrounded by people. She learned his favorite food, shared his opinions on the wonderful feel of a silk shirt. Ranko marveled at the fierce intelligence Ranma unleashed in his papers. She cried at the loss of his mother, and leapt for joy as one by one Ranma began to make his reputation as one of Japan's foremost Psychiatrists.  
  
The she dove into his dark side. Ranma's infamous battles with the pervert who had splashed her. The shame of his father's petty criminal record. Next was the hardest part. Autopsy photos, and crime scene photos. The thrill of the hunt, and anger of betrayal coursing through your body, using all these things Ranko tried to tap into Ranma's dark side. She failed. It was like night a day. A honorable martial artist and a cold blooded killer. It dumbfounded her, how could one person be both? Ranma Saotome was a doctor, a friend, a loved one ,and a teacher. The killer well it was just plain evil. pure unadulterated evil. It was methodical, conniving and smart.  
  
Startled Ranko realized her mistake, and who had put it there. Ryu Takahara.  
  
"That low-down dirty bastard, he wants me to follow his lead. Thinking Ranma could be a cold blooded methodical killer is stupid. There is something about him, something darker, and something he can't control." Gritting her teeth, Ranko began once more to try and understand the dark side of Dr. Ranma Saotome.  
  
Changing her approach, Ranko simply placed herself as a killer. The feel of the night air on her body, and the sound of her own breath was all Ranko allowed herself to think of. No more thinking, just reacting; Ranko wanted to simply react to her environment. There it is. The smell of prey, slow, and weak. The sound of it's footsteps walking slowly through the house. The sweet smell of alcohol lingering behind. A small secret smile just before She attacks. The warm wet feeling of blood between your fingers, and the coppery smell floating in the air as the prey dies. When the prey dies, she is free..............  
  
  
  
Slowly backing down from the mental imagine, Ranko opens her eyes.   
  
"Oh my god!" she exclaims.  
  
No longer sitting at the hotel desk, Ranko is on the hotel floor on all fours. In front of her is the hotel wall with three foot long scratch marks.....  
  
  
  
Elsewhere.....  
  
  
"Old man."  
  
  
  
Silence.  
  
  
  
"Old man!"  
  
  
  
"What do you want, Ranma m'boy?"  
  
  
  
"You know you did something very bad today, old man."  
  
  
  
"So what. Ranko-chan was just begging to have old Happy show her a good time!"  
  
"I'm afraid not, old man. She would have pounded you flat, if you had not been in that cell. And just because she didn't say anything about it, doesn't mean I'm not going to. That was very rude, and you will be punished for it."  
  
"Ranma m'boy. You must be crazier than they think I am. You are locked up tighter than I am. There is no way you can hurt me."  
  
  
  
Ranma could almost hear the satisfied smirk on Happosai's face as he quit talking. The old lech had been a pain in Ranma's side ever since he first showed up at the dojo. But since that day, Ranma had yet to wish the old pervert dead. Yes, the old man was a pest, but nothing worth being killed for. Tonight however was different. Tonight Ranma wanted the old leach to pay for hurting Ranko. Gritting his teeth, Ranma could feel the beast stirring. His throat was dry, his muscles were taunt, and a slight bead of sweat had broken out from the exertion of keeping control. Then it happened. Ranma smiled, his muscles relaxed, and he licked his lips. The sound was unusual, but if you ever heard it you would have no problem identifying it. The sound got louder and louder, and louder still. Until the whole cell block was filled with the sound of Ranma growling.  
  
  
  
This growl was from no kitten, and no house cat ever made such a sound. This was the sound of a hunter. This was the sound of a predator, an angry predator. After a moment of the animalistic cry of fury, Happosai swallowed nervously and wondered. "Have I gone to far this time?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Next time on Silent water....  
  
Genma Saotome  
  
Cause of death : bone fragment to the brain caused by shiatsu point.  
  
  
  
"Wait a minute! Ranma doesn't know shiatsu!!!"  
  
  
  



	9. Sorceror

Sorcerer  
By Foxgrad  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 created by Rumiko Takahashi. Zoids owned by EJMC. All other characters and elements owned by their respective owners.  
  
  
  
  
  
***Mimir's Well***  
  
  
"Artoo-detoo, you put that down this instant!"   
A few bleeps and whistles, followed by something that sounded suspiciously like a raspberry, followed the bronze protocol droid's outraged shout.  
"Yes, I'm aware anything done here that does not win Master Foxie's Bet will return to the way it was, but this is simply much too dangerous." A large fox sitting by the Well cringed at being called "Master Foxie" but didn't interfere. If he was lucky he may get another Bet entry out of this little scuffle.   
The blue and white astromech droid zipped one way, then another, trying to get around his counterpart and drop the pebble he was holding into the Well. A few more bleeps and whistles came from the small droid.  
"That poor Ranma fellow had his arm shattered the last time you did this. Although, I suppose you're right, he did become a much more reasonable and well-mannered fellow because of it." As Threepio stood contemplating the situation, Artoo managed to get past him and drop a pebble into the Well.  
"Oh, no! Artoo, what have you done now?"  
  
  
The Sorcerer  
2nd Bet fic  
Ranma 1/2 fusion with Zoids  
by Foxgrad  
  
  
***The Future, Planet Zi***  
  
  
"Hey, the scope just picked something up."  
"What is it, Nabiki?"  
"It's still too far away to tell, but it's closing fast."  
"It's heading for us?"  
"Looks like it. Doesn't show any sign of slowing down."  
"Try to open a comm channel."  
Nabiki Tendo tapped a few keys on her console. "I'm trying, but I'm getting no response."  
"We'd better alert Father, then."  
"Right, Kasumi."  
Nabiki tapped a few more buttons. "Daddy, this is Nabiki. Something's closing in fast. It's not responding to hails."  
"ETA?"  
"Looks like...Cripes! It's already on top of us!"  
"I'll put it up on the main screen, Nabiki."  
"Thanks, Kasumi."  
A window snapped to life on the main screen, showing a large, panther-like black robot. It was running along the top of the gorge the Tendo Team's hover-cargo was currently journeying through. And it was looking right at them.  
"A Lightning Saix," breathed Nabiki. "Custom-job, too."  
A lift ascended into the bridge of the hovercargo carrying on it a man in a dark martial-arts gi. He looked at the screen and grinned. "He's here."  
"Who's here?" asked Nabiki. "Who is this guy?"  
"You'll find out soon enough. Better open the door to the main hangar before he decides to make his own."  
Nabiki looked back at her father, then turned around with a sigh. "Opening the main hangar door. I hope he knows what he's doing," she added under her breath.  
A large door opened on the side of the snail-shaped hovercargo. Kasumi keyed up a screen to show the interior of the hangar. Soun Tendo and his daughters watched the inside of the hangar, waiting to see the Lightning Saix enter. Then they waited some more. Then some more.  
"Where is he?" asked Nabiki.  
"Checking scanners," replied Kasumi. "This doesn't make any sense."  
"What doesn't, Kasumi?"  
"I can't find the Lightning Saix on the scanners."  
"Could it have used some kind of stealth system?"  
"Possible, but why activate it now? The pilot must have known we'd be able to detect any approaching Zoid. Activating a stealth system after getting close enough for us to actually see it doesn't make any sense."  
Nabiki quickly analyzed the situation. Why would a Zoid suddenly activate a stealth system after getting close enough to be seen? Because it didn't want to be attacked. But why use a stealth system, any decent pilot would be able to....  
"The pilot's not in the Zoid anymore. It activated a stealth system so we couldn't attack it while it's helpless. The pilot must be...."  
"Right here," said a voice from behind them. Kasumi, Nabiki, and Soun spun around to see a young man dressed in black.  
"How did you make it onto the bridge without being detected?" gasped Nabiki.  
The intruder smirked. "Easily. You Soun Tendo?" he asked, looking at the only other male present in the room.   
"Yes, that's me. I'm so glad you're finally here, Ran-glurk!" Soun Tendo had rushed forward to give the young man his traditional over-emotional greeting, only to have his throat suddenly closed by a vise-like grip.   
"You've got some explaining to do, old man. Like why I'm suddenly wanted for stealing a Zoid."  
"That would be my doing," said a voice from the lift. "I figured it would be the fastest way to get you here."  
The lift rose into view, carrying a heavy-set man in a dirty white gi. Ranma dropped Soun, apparently forgetting about him completely, as his eyes fastened on the newcomer. "You!"  
"Is that any way to greet your father, Ranma? After all the trouble I went to track y-glurk!"  
"I just went into town to get some supplies. All of a sudden these cops show up. They said my Zoid was reported stolen. 'How can that be,' I wondered. 'Me and my Zoid have been together for years, how can it be that all of a sudden someone claims that it's been stolen?' So I gave the cops the slip and did a little checking. Seems it was reported stolen by a Soun Tendo. So I tracked him down so we could have a little chat. Now that you're here everything's beginning to make sense."  
The heavyset man, who by this point was turning blue, finally began to loosen Ranma's grip on his throat. "Now, son, this is no way to treat your loving father!"  
"Loving father!" shouted Ranma, "You've got a lot of nerve calling yourself that after you took me that brain butcher who dared to call himself a doctor! You had him implant that rusty piece of junk in my head...."  
"The chip was supposed to increase your reflexes and analytical abilities. Besides, the guy said he had a license!"  
"He operated on me in a rickety old shack with a rusty hacksaw and a Bowie knife! Didn't that tell you something?"  
"He had some real medical tools."  
"A few centuries ago they were medical tools, GENMA! These days they're museum pieces! If the cops hadn't raided the place when they had...."  
Genma finally managed to worm himself loose from Ranma's grip. "What are you so angry about? The doctors said you'd make a full recovery."  
Ranma stared at Genma, disbelief written on his face. "Amazing. You have no remorse at all, do you? I nearly DIED!"  
Genma shrugged. "But you didn't, did you? You know what they say, 'Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'"  
"Father," Kasumi whispered, "why are you friends with this man?"  
Soun Tendo blinked, then turned his attention to his daughter. "Now, now, Kasumi, I'm sure my old friend Saotome meant it when he said he thought he was a real doctor."  
Ranma turned his attention back to Soun from where he was throttling his father again. "Who are you and how do you fit into all of this?"  
"Oh, your father and I go way back. Before you were born we made a pledge that our children would one day wed."  
"What!" chorused four voices, three from the bridge and one from the lift, which was again rising to the bridge. On it was a teenage girl with long, black hair.  
The new girl stepped off the lift, looked around, then dropped into a martial arts stance when she saw a strange man in black strangling their current houseguest. "Who are you, and what are you doing to Uncle Saotome?"  
"I'm Ranma Saotome, and I'm currently trying to kill him. Who are you?"  
"My name's Akane Tendo, now drop him!"  
Ranma blinked, then grinned. "You know, that's a great idea."  
A few minutes later Ranma was hoisting his father over his head while standing on the edge of the top of the hovercargo. Genma, still suffering from oxygen-deprivation, was shamelessly begging for his life. "Please, Ranma, you don't want to do this! I'll...I'll do whatever you want! I'll have Soun drop the charges! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I put him up to it, I'm sorry about taking you to an unlicensed doctor, I'm sorry...."  
Ranma pulled Genma down so that they were face-to-face. "You knew the whole time he wasn't a real doctor, didn't you. You knew, and yet you still let him open up my head."  
"Yes, yes, I knew! No real doctor would do the operation for what I paid him. Please, please don't kill me!"  
Ranma grinned. "That's all I wanted to hear. Come on over, boys."  
Soun and his daughters appeared at the hatch on the top of the hovercargo, finally having managed to catch up to the Saotomes. They gasped as they saw several Zoids painted in police colors appear over the edge of the gorge. "What's going on here?"  
"It's called a sting, Soun. The cops were never able to convict my father for paying an unlicensed doctor to operate on me unless they could prove that he knew the doctor wasn't really licensed. Now that they've got his little confession, he's going behind bars where he belongs."  
"Genma, is this true?"  
"They'll never be able to prove anything, Soun. There's no way this could be admissable in court."  
"Actually, it is. They're doing amazing things with lie detectors these days. The cops know that every word you said was true. Thanks to some new laws, it's quite admissable in court. See ya in ten to twenty, Pops."  
Soun could only watch helplessly as his old friend was dragged away in cuffs. Ranma went over to talk with a detective, then walked back over to Soun. "Now there's this small issue of you claiming to have ownership of a Zoid that doesn't belong to you."  
Soun tore his eyes away from the Zoid carrying Genma away to a long incarceration and turned his attention to Ranma. "What?"  
"How is it that you claim to have ownership of the Zoid I showed up in?"  
"Oh, that," Soun licked his dry lips. "Uh, Genma sold it to me."  
"WHAT?!"  
Soun quickly retreated, one hand automatically raised to protect his neck. "Genma sold it to me. You see, you're too young to legally own a Zoid, meaning your legal guardian, Genma, had to own it. He sold it to me."  
"My old man never owned that Zoid. Heck, I never even owned it. We just work together."  
Nabiki, who had been following this conversation closely, suddenly jumped in. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Ranko and I work together. I never said I owned her. Heck, she'd probably squash me flat if she heard me say anything like that."  
"What are you talking about? Zoids can't do anything without a pilot."  
Ranma grinned. "Ranko's special. See for yourself."  
Nabiki turned around to see the customized Lightning Saix walking towards them. "How's it doing that?"  
The police detective walked over to Ranma and the Tendos. "Mr. Saotome, I'd like to have a word."  
Ranma went over to join the detective. A few minutes later Ranma was gesticulating wildly and shouting at the top of his lungs. "THEY CAN'T DO THIS!"  
"I'm sorry, Ranma," replied the detective, "but for the moment Mr. Tendo's ownership of your Lightning Saix appears to be completely legal. You can contest it in court, but the fact remains you're too young to own a Zoid."  
Ranma forced himself to calm down. "I understand. Thanks, anyway."  
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. It doesn't seem fair to me, either."  
Ranma turned back to the Tendos. "We need to talk."  
  
  
***The lounge area in the Tendo hovercargo***  
  
  
"Ranma, meet Kasumi, she's nineteen, Nabiki, she's seventeen, and Akane, she's sixteen. Pick the one want, and she's yours."  
"WHAT?! There's no way I'm going to marry this creep!"  
"Father, this is so sudden...."  
"Daddy, get real. There's no way...."  
Ranma sat back and studied the Tendos. "Look, I'm sure your daughters are very nice, but I'm not about to get married, especially to a stranger."  
"You have to marry one of my daughters! It's a matter of honor!"  
"Nobody's done arranged marriages in centuries. Try to force the issue, and I'm pretty sure I can have you committed."  
"Ranma, you MUST...."  
"Daddy, can I talk to you for a moment?" Nabiki pulled her father off to one side. As they talked Soun began to calm down. When they returned to the group he was smiling.  
"Okay, Ranma, you can leave. And, since I don't really have the space or resources to take care of an extra Zoid, I'll just sell your Lightning Saix to a parts shop or something."  
"WHAT! There is no way you're hacking Ranko up for spare parts!"  
"Look at this guy, naming his Zoid and everything," huffed Akane. "I bet you're one of those weirdoes who thinks his Zoid talks to him."  
Ranma glanced at Akane. "Can't every pilot communicate with his Zoid?"  
Akane opened her mouth to retort, but Nabiki interrupted. "Please, can we get back to the subject at hand?"  
"Right. Like I said, there's no way you're selling Ranko to some chop shop."  
Nabiki decided to step in and take charge of the conversation. "Like Daddy said, we can't afford the maintenance or storage fees for another Zoid. If we had a pilot for it, that would be another matter. Now if we could only find someone who knows how to pilot that Zoid, we might be interested in having him...or her...join the team."  
Ranma narrowed his eyes. "That's blackmail."  
"That's business. You leave, and we'll have no choice but to sell your Lightning Saix for spare parts. You join the team and earn your keep, and the Zoid is yours once you turn eighteen."  
Ranma glowered for a moment, but he knew he was backed into a corner. "I want that in writing."  
Nabiki smiled. "Easily done. It'll take a few days to get it done right. Welcome to the team."  
Ranma smiled back, and Nabiki thought she could catch a small amount of respect in his eyes. "Glad to be aboard," he muttered, but to Nabiki it didn't sound completely sarcastic.  
  
  
  
***Later that night***  
  
  
  
"I hope you weren't planning on taking your Lightning Saix and disappearing into the night."  
"Nabiki? Is that you?"  
Nabiki stepped in front of the D. Bison she had been behind. "Yes, it's me. Now answer the question."  
"No, I wasn't planning on running out on you. I made a deal. If you keep your end, I'll keep mine."  
"That's good to hear. That doesn't explain what you're doing here, though."  
"I'm going to bed."  
"What are you- Don't tell me you sleep in your cockpit!"  
Ranma shrugged. "I'm more used to that cockpit than I am to a bed."  
Nabiki stared at him. "What are you talking about?"  
"Haven't you wondered what I've been doing in the six years since I left Pops after that fake doctor incident?"  
"That was six years ago? Okay, I'll bite. What have you been doing?"  
Ranma grinned. "I've been salvaging Zoid parts. I had a pretty good business going, too. That's how I got all these custom parts for Ranko."  
"Wait a minute, you're the one who customized this Lightning Saix?"  
"Yup."  
"You do good work."  
"Thanks."  
"Wait a minute, what did you mean earlier about you never owning Ranko? If you didn't buy it...."  
"Her."  
"What difference does it make? A Zoid's not alive, it can't be a him or a her."  
"RROOOOAAAARRRRRR!!!"  
Nabiki hurriedly backed away from the huge panther-like Zoid. It was looking right at her, and it looked MAD!  
"H-how are you doing that?"  
"I'm not doing anything. Ranko's a little defensive about her femininity. The first time I called her 'boy' I thought she was going to bite my head off, literally."  
Nabiki's eyes slid from the very large, very angry-looking Zoid to Ranma. "Suurrre. Riiiight."  
"Hey, if you don't believe me, that's your choice. Just watch what you say around her, okay?"  
Nabiki shrugged. She wasn't sure how he was pulling this little stunt, but it wasn't worth arguing about. "Whatever. Now, you were going to tell me about how you came to own Ranko."  
"I told you, I don't own her. I met her about two years ago. She was just wandering through the desert without a pilot. I managed to get into her cockpit, and I found out that someone had programmed her to wander around the wasteland like that. I never found out who or why."  
Gears turned and something clicked in Nabiki's mind. A Lightning Saix, wandering the wasteland.... "Kuno!"  
"Beg pardon?"  
"Kuno! He's this rich Warrior who's got a fixation on Akane. About two years ago he had his debut Zoids battle. He was so sure he was going to win he actually had commercials announcing the upcoming match. You couldn't turn on a TV without seeing his face bragging about how invincible he was and how the heavens were on his side and so on and so forth."  
"I seem to remember something about that," said Ranma.  
"Well, the big day came and he shows up in this Lightning Saix. Not just any Lightning Saix, but this really temperamental one that no one had been able to pilot. Kuno was so full of himself, he thought a Warrior such as himself could 'tame his fierce tigress' or something like that."  
"Only he couldn't, and he got creamed," said Ranma, grinning.  
"Right. He was so mad he 'exiled' his Zoid to wander the wastelands until it was ready to accept him as its master."  
"He's the one who put that control override in her? Geez, that's messed up."  
"That's Kuno," replied Nabiki. "He thinks he's God's gift to women and Zoid battles."  
"Sounds like you're not terribly impressed with him."  
"Please! The only impressive thing about him is the amount of money he has to throw around. To be honest, though, he's also a pretty good Zoid pilot, although he's always lost to us."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. Don't tell Akane I said this, but I think he goes easy on her."  
Ranma shook his head. "If you go into a Zoid battle, you owe it to your opponent to do your best. Anything less is an insult."  
Nabiki shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm not complaining. The prize money we get from our battles with him has pulled us through...." Nabiki suddenly shut up.  
An awkward silence stretched between them, then Ranma smiled gently. "Hey, I know how it is. I've lived most of my life dirt-poor. Pops was always wandering around teaching me martial arts. He seemed to think that martial artists make the best Zoid pilots."  
Nabiki managed a small smile. "Daddy's the same way."  
Ranma nodded. "Maybe he's right. Martial artists have great hand-eye coordination and reflexes. Anyway, we never lived in one place for very long, and I spent most of my nights sleeping under the stars. I probably lived the life you're afraid you and your family might have to live if you lose the hovercargo and your Zoids to bill collectors. It wasn't fun. If I were in your shoes I'd probably blackmail some cocky young Warrior into working dirt-cheap, especially if you bought his Zoid for a song."  
Nabiki blinked. "You mean Daddy actually got a good deal on your Zoid?"  
"Deal? It's more like an insult! Ranko's worth way more than 2,000, right, girl?"  
Ranma's Zoid growled in response. Nabiki grinned in amusement. She was getting used to Ranko's antics. She wasn't sure what to make of Ranma's claim his Zoid had a mind of her own, but she was more than willing to indulge his quirks if he was as good as she thought he was. Even more so if he was WHO she thought he was.  
"You know, I still can't get over the way your Zoid just disappeared from our scanners. I've been going over the records. No stealth system should be able to make a Zoid that size disappear that fast."  
"Hey, Ranko's special."  
"I can see that. If you really did all of the customizations on her, you have got some serious talent."  
"Thanks. Flattery will get you everywhere."  
"Really? I'll have to remember that."  
Was it Nabiki's imagination, or was Ranko glaring at her. Nah....  
"Speaking of customizations, that D. Bison has got to be Akane's, right?"  
"That's right. What gave it away?"  
"Packed with guns, lots of brute power, no subtlety whatsoever, gee, I wonder?"  
"You haven't known us long enough to make those kinds of judgments."  
Ranma shrugged. "The signs were all there. It was mostly in the way she moved and in that quick temper of hers."  
"The way she moves?"  
"She sort of charges forward all the time and uses an unnecessary amount of power in just about every movement. Most people probably couldn't really pick up on it, but a martial artist is trained to see these things."  
"How fascinating. Maybe there's more to martial arts than I thought."  
"There's more to martial arts than nearly everyone thinks, even most martial artists. I could train you, if you want."  
"Me?!"  
"Sure, why not? If I'm going to be building my rep on your team, I'd better not have any weak teammates.  
"What was that?" Nabiki asked in a low, dangerous tone.  
"Sorry, that didn't come out right. If I'm going to be part of a team, I should try to see to it I do everything I can do to see to it myself AND my teammates are performing at their peak. If teaching you more martial arts can help us win battles, then that's what I'll do."  
"You already knew I knew some martial arts? Wait, let me guess. You could tell by the way I move."  
"Yep. So, you want to learn?"  
"I'll think about it."  
"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," he said, turning his attention to a set of tools on a nearby workbench.  
"So tell me, which Zoid do you think is mine?"  
Ranma didn't even look up. "The Command Wolf."  
"Really? What makes you think that?"  
"All the recently added parts are hand-me-downs, taken from the other Zoids."  
Nabiki was taken aback. "How does that tell you it's mine?"  
Ranma looked up. "I think you're the only one who's got a really good understanding of just shaky your financial situation is. Kasumi might have an idea, but your dad and Akane have 'impulse buyer' written all over them." Ranma noticed the shocked expression that Nabiki let slip before she covered it up. "Hey, I told you I dealt in salvaged Zoid parts. I needed to be able to read the customers. I learn fast when I have to."  
"Do you plan to continue dealing in used parts on the side?" asked Nabiki, anxious to get the subject off of her family's lack of financial security.  
"I might. It'll be a little tricky being a Warrior and a used parts dealer at the same time. Especially if you guys are on the move all the time. I'd probably have to keep the parts here in your hovercargo. I also just might not have the time to be both."  
Nabiki strolled a bit closer to Ranma. "Sounds like you could use a partner."  
Ranma grinned. "You might be right. Can you think of anyone who'd be interested?"  
"Maybe," said Nabiki, moving even closer.  
"Well, if you think of anyone, be sure to send them my way."  
"I'll be sure to do that," she said, now quite close to Ranma. They stood for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. Almost as if their bodies were acting on their own, they drew closer, closer....  
The moment was suddenly lost when they both noticed how incredibly close Ranko had gotten to the two of them. If Nabiki had moved just a couple inches to her right, she would have bumped against the Zoid's teeth. "How can a Zoid move so quietly," her shocked mind asked.  
"Heh, sometimes Ranko gets a little nosey. Sorry about that."  
"No problem," Nabiki replied. Inwardly, she was relieved. It wasn't like her to lose it over a boy like that. She'd have to watch herself from now on. Yet, a small part of her couldn't help but feel...disappointed.  
"Er, I guess the Raynos is Kasumi's?" Ranma turned to admire the pteradactyl-shaped Zoid.  
"That's right," answered Nabiki, glad to shift the conversation off what almost happened. "She's an amazing pilot, but she doesn't get directly involved in Zoid battles very often."  
"Really? Why not?"   
"She has a really hard time firing on the enemy. She hates the thought of hurting anyone. Mostly she stays in the hovercargo and serves a support role."  
"She mans the radar and scanners, helps with strategy, stuff like that?"  
"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, she really pulls her own weight. She's saved our bacon more than a few times."  
Ranma smiled a sad, wistful smile. "I can think of plenty of times I wished I had someone watching my back. It must be a good feeling."  
Nabiki blinked, startled to see the lonely young man in front of her where a confident and cocky Warrior had stood a moment before. "It is," she answered, before she could stop herself.   
Ranma looked at Nabiki and scratched the back of his head, embarrassed at how he must have sounded. "Uh, it's getting kind of late. You probably want to get to bed."  
"Yeah," she answered. "Look, we have a guest room. There's no reason you have to sleep in the cockpit of your Zoid."  
"That's all right. I wouldn't know what to do with a real bed if it came with a manual. I'll be fine."  
"If you're sure," said Nabiki, turning to leave. "I doubt Kasumi will let this rest. Mark my words, she'll have you moved into that guest room within a week if she has to chain you up and throw you in."  
"Convincing me isn't the hard part. She'll have to talk Ranko into letting me sleep someplace else. She gets pretty lonely when I'm not around."  
"Suuuurrrre. Riiight." With that Nabiki turned and left the hangar.  
  
***Akane's room***  
  
"I can't believe we've got some strange boy living here with us. Psycho almost killed his own father! If he tries anything with Nabiki or Kasumi, I'll turn him into Zoid grease! Weirdo names his Zoid and calls it a girl. He's probably some sicko who...." Akane quieted down once she realized she was talking to herself. In her mind she kept seeing Ranma holding his father over the edge of the hovercargo. It made her sick to think that he may one day turn on her family like that. She'd have to watch him very carefully.  
  
  
***Kasumi's room***  
  
  
Kasumi sat on her bed with a picture in her hands. "I just couldn't believe it. How could Uncle Saotome do something like that to his son? And to think, he'd been living with us for two weeks before the police came and arrested him. His son is living here now. He has a lot of anger in him, but I think he's a good person deep down. I think he's also a very lonely person. Maybe staying here with a real family will be good for him. I hope I can make him feel welcome. I'm glad Father gave up on that arranged marriage business, though. It could have caused a lot of problems." Kasumi spent another minute gazing at the picture. Even after all these years, she still missed her. "Well, good night, Mother. I'll talk to you again tomorrow." Kasumi put the picture of her mother on the vanity next to her bed and snuggled down beneath her covers.  
  
  
***Soun's room***  
  
  
Soun sat in his bed, a picture identical to the one Kasumi had held in his hands. "Kimiko, the day I've waited for so long has finally come. Saotome's son is here. He's a fine boy, and I'm sure he'll make a fine husband for one of our girls. Now that he's a Warrior for the Tendo Team, he'll have plenty of time to get to know them. It's just a matter of time before nature takes its course. Saotome..., well, you were right about him. He did wind up in jail. He made a mistake, and now he has to pay the price. I'm going to miss him." Soun sighed. He suddenly felt very alone. For so long it had been just him and the girls. It had felt good to have another adult around, to have someone he could talk to. He had no idea he'd miss Genma so much. He wasn't the best conversationalist in the world, but he'd managed to distract Soun from the loss he'd suffered so many years ago. They'd spent many hours reminiscing about old times and playing shogi. Now it was just him and the kids again, plus one more. Maybe he should look up some of the old gang. Sure, why not? He could even arrange a reunion or something. Genma couldn't make it, of course, but it would be great to see some of his old friends. Some of them probably even had kids! Soun lay back and closed his eyes, feeling better than he had in a long while.  
  
  
  
***Nabiki's room***  
  
  
Nabiki lay back and stared at the ceiling, her thoughts churning. It had been an interesting day to say the least. "Uncle" Saotome had been arrested. "Gee, didn't see that one coming," she thought, sarcastically. "The guy had low-life written all over him." She had managed to talk her father into making Ranma part of the team. He had done it "to give the boy a chance to get to know his prospective fiancees." Nabiki had done it because she suspected there was much more to the boy than met the eye. It just wasn't natural the way his Zoid had vanished off the scanners. No known stealth system worked that fast. However, there had been rumors for about a year now of a mysterious pilot and his Zoid who did the impossible on a regular basis. No one knew who the pilot was, and descriptions of his Zoid tended to vary. Most said it was a black cat-type Zoid. Some said it could vanish in the blink of an eye. Others said the Zoid could walk through solid rock. Still others said it could be one place one second and someplace else the next. The mysterious pilot had acquired a nickname: The Sorcerer. If Ranma and The Sorcerer were one and the same...the mere thought of it made Nabiki shiver. The Tendo Team would soar through the ranks and reach Class-S in no time. The prize money in Class-S made what they were getting now seem like chump change. A few wins and the team would be so firmly in the black Nabiki would finally be able to relax. It wasn't easy keeping her family out of debt. Her father loved to buy extravagent Zoid parts, the flashier the better. Akane went through ammo like it was water. Well, even if Ranma wasn't The Sorcerer it was clear he had useful talents. Nabiki was sure he'd do more than just earn his keep. As her mind calmed down she found herself picturing her new teammate in her mind: his jet-black hair tied back in a pig-tail, his clear blue eyes, those strong, muscular.... She shook her head. She had to stay focused. Her family depended on her. She had to keep a clear head. She kept repeating that in her mind until she fell asleep.  
  
  
***Ranko's cockpit***  
  
  
Ranma sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He'd finally done it. He'd finally nailed that waste of skin that dared call itself his father. He lay back and shut his eyes. A few minutes later he groaned and opened them again. He could sleep anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances, but he had too much of a natural high to sleep tonight. He had to do something. He clicked on a light and pulled out an ancient leatherbound book from a hidden compartment. He began flipping through the pages. "Did that one, did that one, don't have the right herbs for that one, need silver for this one.... Hey, Ranko, want to give this levitation spell another try?"  
Ranko emitted a low growl and shook her head.  
"Right, I'd better wait until I figure out a better translation. I'm still not 100% sure about some of these words, and the verb tense is a little iffy. This luminescence spell might come in handy."  
Ranko made a gesture that would have been a shrug on a human.   
"Well, I'll try to find something better. How do you like your size-changing spell? You like being able to shrink down to the size of a normal panther?"  
Ranko nodded emphatically and purred.  
"There's a shape-changing spell that looks pretty good. It'd take us a while to get everything we need, though. Looks like a pretty good spell, though. You could change into whatever you want. Heck, you could probably even turn into a human!"  
Ranko suddenly went very still. If she were organic her heart would be going like a jack-hammer. Was it possible? Could she actually become human? Could she finally stand beside Ranma as only a human could, share the joys of human life, comfort him when he was sad, walk with him, talk with him, hold him in her arms, and....  
Ranma was startled when Ranko suddenly shook her head, as if to clear it. "Hey, calm down, Ranko. Don't forget I'm in here." He turned his attention back to the ancient grimoire, but then his mind began to wander. He ran through the events of the day, especially relishing the look on Genma's face as he had been hauled off by the police. He thought about the deal he had made with the Tendos. He knew Nabiki had put her father up to it, but he couldn't get really angry at her. The Tendos obviously needed his help. It was about time he got some experience in official Zoid battles, anyway. He'd have to wait until he was eighteen unless he signed up with a team like the Tendo Team. As long as Ranko was officially owned by the Tendos, he didn't have to worry about some idiot claiming her. A Zoid that wasn't officially owned by anyone could be claimed by anyone qualified to own one. This deal could be the best thing that happened to him since he had met Ranko. No, he couldn't really be angry with Nabiki. As his mind calmed down he pictured his new teammate in his mind: her soft brown hair cut in a "helmet-cut", her mischievous brown eyes, those long, curvy.... He shook his head. He had to stay focused. He was just here to get some experience and to protect Ranko from being claimed by any idiot old enough to own a Zoid. Ranko depended on him. He had to keep a clear head. He kept repeating that in his mind until he fell asleep.   
  
  
  
  
Whew! Glad I got this done. Thanks to Flashfyre5 for letting me enter this and for holding the Second Bet. I probably wouldn't have been nearly as motivated to get my stories written and posted on the internet without it. I may continue this a bit further. I have a few ideas for how this will develop. It would be easy to bring in characters from other series in for cameos; just make them Zoid teams. For example:  
  
"So who are we facing in our next battle, Dad?" asked Akane.  
"The NERV Team," he answered. "It's headed by Gendo Ikari...."  
"Wait a minute," said Nabiki. "I thought Gendo Ikari died."  
"Hey, that's right," said Soun. "Quite a slow and painful death, too. I sure wouldn't want to go that way." He shuddered involuntarily. He hadn't witnessed the incident, but the descriptions had been graphic enough. Something about an active volcano, and dozen Iron Kong, and a bucket of yellow paint. There hadn't been anything left of him but a two-mile long smear. "Let's see, that would mean Misato Katsuragi is in charge now. She's pretty good, actually. I heard some rumors that she's the one who came up with most of the strategies while Ikari was alive."  
"I heard most of their Warriors are pretty young," said Nabiki.   
"That's true. Three Warriors, all just fourteen years old."  
"Geez, what kind of monster would make fourteen-year-olds fight?" asked Akane.   
"The way I remember it, we had to lock you in your room to keep you out of Daddy's Zoid battles when you were ten. I can't believe you actually snuck into that old Zoid we were about to sell and tried to join in one of his battles. If Kasumi hadn't caught you and locked the hangar doors you would have disqualified Daddy for having too many Zoids for that kind of battle."  
"Shut up, Nabiki," growled Akane, embarrassed at having that childhood misadventure brought up.  
  
  
  
I could also bring out the Amazon Team and the Musk Team. I wonder what kind of Zoid Shampoo would pilot? A cat-type is a little obvious, but there are so many types of them it could be interesting.   
If Kasumi is fused with Jamie, does that mean she's going to have a wild flying ace split personality? Maybe, but not necessarily.  
Bringing magic into a Zoids fusion? It's a Ranma fic, so magic isn't really out of place. OOC characters? Well, maybe not too much. After all, they'd act differently in different circumstances, and these circumstances are certainly different. Ranma's been out on his own and developed more social skills and is able to think for himself. Genma's finally gotten his just desserts. Without him there to support him, Soun has to be a little more subtle. Most of those dumb match-making schemes were probably Genma's ideas, anyways. 


	10. Starlite

A Starlite in NerimaBR  
A 2nd Bet ficBR  
By FoxgradBR  
BR  
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 created by Rumiko Takahashi. Lazer Tag Academy owned by World of Wonder, Inc.(later distributed by Saban and renamed Lazer Patrol.) All other charactes and elements owned by their respective owners.BR  
BR  
BR  
A Starlite in NerimaBR  
BR  
BR  
"Okay, Foxie, I know that you wanted to expand this Bet's talent pool, but this is stretching things a bit."BR  
"Since when are you against bending the rules a bit?"BR  
"Good point."BR  
Toltiir and Great Fox, temporarily known as "Foxie," examined the two beings who had just wandered up to Mimir's Well. One was a golden humanoid robot. His companion was a squat blue and white robot that looked like a barrel with a dome top. BR  
"Excuse me, gentlebeings, but we appear to be a little lost. Could you direct us to a vid-phone?"BR  
"I'm sure we could dig one up for you, er...."BR  
"My apologies! I am C3-PO, human-cyborg relations. My counterpart is R2-D2." The smaller droid hooted and whistled in greeting. "We appear to have become separated from our Masters. Any assistance you could render would be greatly appreciated, and I'm sure our Masters would be only too happy to reimburse you for your troubles."BR  
"Nonsense," replied Foxie. "We'd be glad to help. It will just take a little time. In the meantime, why don't we entertain ourselves?"BR  
"Well, I am afraid I am not really programmed in any of the entertainment arts, although I have been known to tell a few stories now and then. I would be happy to entertain you in such manner if you would so choose."BR  
"No, no. That's all right. I had something a little different in mind. If you would be so kind as to step up to the Well?"BR  
The protocol droid and his astromech counterpart were soon filled in on the details of how Mimir's Well worked and the basic concept of the Second Bet. R2-D2 thought Toltiir and Foxie were joking, but C3-PO was a different matter entirely.BR  
"Oh, dear. I'm afraid I couldn't possibly do something like that. Tampering with events on a cosmic scale is well beyond the scope of my programming. Perhaps you gentlebeings would settle for something a little less...R2-D2! What are you doing! Put that stone down this instant!"BR  
The little astromech droid hooted and whistled a response to his counterpart and dropped a small stone into the Well.BR  
"Gullible? I am most certainly not gullible! You take that back, you little...."BR  
"Hey, Toltiir, check this out."BR  
"What did he do?"BR  
"Looks like he fused this Ranma timeline to a neighboring one."BR  
"Let's see what we got."BR  
BR  
BR  
A Starlite in NerimaBR  
A 2nd Bet fic BR  
by FoxgradBR  
BR  
"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to your Junior year. This year we have just one new student. If you would please introduce yourself we can get class started."BR  
Nabiki arched an eyebrow as she took in the new student. He was fairly tall and well-built, a bit pale, though. His long, black hair was tied in a ponytail, and he was wearing a stylish pair of shades. Nabiki noticed a few of her female classmates were checking him out, and a few were already whispering among themselves. She, however, chose to reserve judgment until she heard him speak. Good looks alone weren't enough to hold her interest. Pretty boys might be mildly entertaining, especially if they had the money to make the date worthwhile, but they tended to get real boring real fast. She rolled her eyes as the new student took off his shades and several of classmates sighed dreamily. Blue eyes. Big deal. BR  
"Good morning. My name is Ranma Sato. My family just recently moved into the area due to my father getting reassigned at work. Pleased to meet you."BR  
Nabiki sat back in her desk, somewhat intrigued by the newcomer. He had none of the "new-student jitters" that she had come to expect. He was calm and serious, almost grim, in fact. She watched his fluid movements as he moved to take an empty seat just across from her. If he could dance as good as he could walk, she might just have found her date for the Homecoming Dance. BR  
"It may also interest the class to know that Mr. Sato has just skipped a grade. You could all learn something from him."BR  
Nabiki smirked slightly to herself as she saw Ranma flinch at the teacher's announcement. It was perfectly understandable. It might have been kinder if the teacher had stuck a sign on Ranma's back that read GEEK.BR  
BR  
BR  
***After School***BR  
BR  
Nabiki strolled homeward after having finished all of her "business deals" for the day. This year looked to be even more profitable than the last. All of her old contacts were still in place, and it looked like she might be able to recruit a few more. Some of the Freshmen came from wealthy families. She'd have to see about infecting them with the gambling bug. She'd already gotten a few bites concerning bets for upcoming sporting events. Her face grew sombre as she compared her predictions for income against what her family was going to need. Kasumi would never say a word, but her clothes were getting a little worn-out. She needed a few new dresses and a new coat before winter set in. The house needed some long-overdue maintenance, especially the plumbing. Then there was always the little princess and her training supplies. It was beyond Nabiki how Akane could go through so many blocks and training dummies so fast. Didn't she realize how expensive those things were? It was a totally unnecessary expense. If her father would finally start teaching classes in the dojo again, it wouldn't be so bad. Nabiki sighed. If her father would just get it together it would solve so many problems. Ever since her mother had died, however, he had been a basket-case. Most of his student had left when he had started bursting into tears in the middle of classes. It was just too embarassing to try to learn martial-arts from someone who cried like a little girl. Nabiki at first had blamed the students for not giving her father a chance to grieve, but it soon became obvious that her father was simply not going to recover from her mother's death. Kasumi had tried so hard to give him all the support she could, but nothing could make him move past his grief for long. Kasumi had sacrificed so much to try to hold the family together. Nabiki had never even heard of her hanging out with friends or even going on a single date. She spent all her spare time taking care of the family. And she still was. BR  
Nabiki was suddenly broken out of her reverie when she was grabbed from behind and hustled into an alley. She tried to scream, but a hand was clamped over her mouth. She was suddenly spun around, and her back was slammed against the wall. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized her attackers. BR  
"Well, well, well, look what we got here. If it isn't the all-powerful Nabiki Tendo."BR  
Nabiki tried to speak, but her abductors, various students from Furinkan, were holding her too tightly. BR  
"Listen up, Tendo. We just want to tell you that things are going to be different this year. You crossed us too many times last year, and we're not gonna let you get away with it any more."BR  
Nabiki finally got her mouth free long enough for her to say, "If you didn't want any trouble than you shouldn't have welched on...."BR  
"Shut up! We've had enough out of you!" One of the boys holding her began to twist her arm. Nabiki tried to struggle but they were too strong. Several of her attackers began to laugh when they saw her obvious pain.BR  
"What's going on in here?"BR  
Nabiki's attackers whirled and spotted the speaker, a boy their age standing at the mouth of the alley. They tried to hide Nabiki from view as they told him to buzz off. Nabiki tried to struggle free, knowing this was her last chance to avoid some serious pain. This bunch wasn't here to talk, they wanted payback. BR  
"Look, I'm not trying to make any trouble. Just let the girl go."BR  
"What girl?"BR  
"They one behind you guys dressed in a Furinkan High school uniform, short brown hair, brown eyes, ring any bells?"BR  
"Listen, buddy, if you know what's good for you you'll leave and forget you ever saw this."BR  
"Sorry, I don't think that's going to happen. Let her go."BR  
"Make me." Most of the gang began to move toward the front of the alley, leaving two behind to hold Nabiki. BR  
"Last chance. Let the girl go."BR  
"No way. I've waited too long for this."BR  
"Fine. HEY, COULD SOMEONE CALL THE COPS?"BR  
The reaction in Nabiki's abductors was immediate and gratifying. Most of them immediately began backing away from the mouth of the alley, looking about them as if they expected a SWAT team to materialize from the shadows. The two holding Nabiki held their ground for a moment, but she could see they were really rattled. BR  
"THERE'S A BUNCH OF GUYS IN FURINKAN HIGH UNIFORMS HOLDING A GIRL IN A FURINKAN HIGH UNIFORM AGAINST HER WILL IN THIS ALLEY. THERE'S ABOUT A DOZEN OF THEM. THE LEADER HAS MEDIUM-LENGTH BROWN HAIR, GREEN EYES, AND A SMALL SCAR JUST ABOVE HIS LEFT EYEBROW. ANOTHER ONE HAS LONGER BLONDE HAIR AND GREEN EYES AND A MOLE ON HIS LEFT JAW."BR  
Most of the bullies were now in full retreat. They may not have been the best and brightest Furinkan had to offer, but they weren't dumb enough to get involved with the cops. The two holding Nabiki took one look at each other, released their prisoner, and bolted from the alley. Pretty soon only the leader, Hiro, and a couple of his cronies were left. They scowled and cursed at the intruder, but didn't dare leave the darkness of the alley while he was attracting this kind of attention. BR  
"This isn't over, pretty boy. You shouldn't've got involved. Now we're gonna take care of Nabiki AND you!" With that, Hiro and his buddies bolted out of the back of the alley. Nabiki took a few deep, calming breaths as she got her nerves back under control. She couldn't afford to appear weak. She had to remain strong and in charge. Too much depended on her to allow any less. BR  
"You okay?"BR  
Nabiki jumped, startled. How had her Good Samaritan gotten so close without her hearing his approach? She quickly composed herself and turned to face him. BR  
"I'm fine, not that I really needed your help. I could have handled those Neandrethals just fine."BR  
"Really," her rescuer replied drily. "You some kind of super-ninja or something?"BR  
"For your information, Ranma, fists aren't the solution to every problem. I've been able to handle myself for a long time. I don't need help dealing with idiots like those." BR  
"You remember my name? I'm impressed. Usually it takes my classmates about a month to learn my name."BR  
"I'm not some idiot like those suckers you just scared off. I can't believe they panicked so easily."BR  
"Bullies are all the same. They're all afraid of someone bigger than they are, and the cops certainly qualify."BR  
"Well, it's nice to finally meet someone who uses his head once in a while. Most guys I know would have either run off with their tail between their legs or tried to prove how macho they are by trying to take them all on at once."BR  
"Hey, don't get me wrong. I was sorely tempted to beat those sorry excuses for human beings all the way back to the rocks they crawled out of."BR  
"Really," Nabiki replied, her turn to be amused. "And what stopped you?"BR  
Ranma shrugged. "I had to keep my objective in mind. What I wanted was to get you out of that situation without you getting hurt. For the sake of argument, let's say I'm some kind of super-powered martial artist like on Dragnball or something. If I had taken on the guys who were coming at me, there was a pretty good chance that the ones holding you would have taken the opportunity to get in a few cheap shots on you. However, by invoking their fear of the law I got them to release you without you being harmed. They wouldn't have taken the opportunity to get those cheap shots in if they were worried that the cops would track them down and bust them for assault."BR  
"Logical, eminently logical. I've never heard such a well-reasoned argument for avoiding a fight."BR  
"You disappointed I let them get off without so much as making them bruise their fists on my face?"BR  
Nabiki laughed. "Don't get me wrong. I meant it when I said it was nice to finally meet someone who uses his head. There are too many people at Furinkan who think that the best way to solve a problem is with a brawl."BR  
"I used to be one of those people. It took quite a bit for me to finally learn better. Now, we had better get someone to look at that elbow of yours."BR  
"What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with my - OW!" Nabiki rubbed her right elbow. It hadn't even hurt until she tried to move it. How had he known?BR  
"It's probably no big deal, but you might want to make sure. Is there someone who could check it out for you?"BR  
Nabiki took a moment to consider. Her father, martial-arts sensei that he was, could probably look at it for her. However, if he found out about it she wouldn't hear the end of it for a month. While the attention might be nice at first, it would get really old really fast. "I'd better get Dr. Tofu to look at it."BR  
"Fine. I'll accompany you."BR  
"I don't need you to baby-sit me."BR  
"Hey, I just like to see things through. It's a character flaw, I know, but it's just the way I am."BR  
Nabiki shook her head, deciding it was better to just humor him. "Alright, you can come with me. It's this way," she said as she led him out of the alley.BR  
As the two of them walked away an unseen figure watched them from the rooftops.BR  
BR  
BR  
BR  
***Doctor Tofu's clinic***BR  
BR  
BR  
BR  
"It looks like a slight sprain. It shouldn't cause you any problems so long as you don't do anything strenuous with this arm. I'll write a note for your Phy. Ed. teacher."BR  
"If you have to, you have to, I guess. I'd appreciate it if you don't tell daddy about this."BR  
"I don't know, Nabiki. This is a pretty serious thing. Are you sure they won't try to hurt you again?"BR  
"What are you talking about? I told you...."BR  
"Nabiki." BR  
Nabiki found herself unable to meet Doctor Tofu's admonishing eyes. "I guess I couldn't fool you, huh. I thought you might be too good to fall for the old 'I tripped' line."BR  
"Nabiki, I'm afraid I simply have no choice. Either he can hear it from you, or he'll have to hear it from me. It'd be best if he heard it from you."BR  
"Yeah, you're right. Daddy would freak if he got a phone call from you saying that one of his daughters got hurt."BR  
Doctor Tofu nodded and sat back on the stool next to the examination cot Nabiki was on. "By the way, who was the young man who came in with you? He seems nice."BR  
"Him? Oh, his name is Ranma Sato. His family just moved into the area."BR  
"That explains why I haven't seen him around. I get to know most of the martial artists who go to Furinkan."BR  
"He's a martial artist?"BR  
"You sound surprised."BR  
"Well, I've never known a martial-artist who could pass up a chance to show off."BR  
"Ahem."BR  
"Don't you 'ahem' me. I know all about that little stunt you and Betty pull on the martial artists who come in here. Admit it, the next time he comes by you're going to use that ninja trick of yours."BR  
"Erasing all sense of your presence isn't necessarily a 'ninja trick,' Nabiki. It's a skill taught in many schools of martial arts," admonished Dr. Tofu. His face broke into a grin as he added, "You're right though. I was planning on doing it just as soon as I finished with you."BR  
"He's still here?" asked Nabiki, surprised.BR  
"Yes, he's waiting in the lobby. He's alone just now so I thought Betty and I would give him our traditional welcome."BR  
Nabiki grinned. "Can I watch?"BR  
"Certainly. I'll be sure to leave the door open enough for you to see." Doctor Tofu slipped out of the examination room, grabbing his skeleton, Betty, on the way. He silently crept up behind Ranma. Nabiki grinned in anticipation as Tofu grabbed his skeleton's arm and reached it towards Ranma's shoulder.BR  
"That's close enough," Ranma turned around, his serious blue eyes flashing. "I assume you have a perfectly good reason for trying to sneak up on me."BR  
The startled doctor blinked a few times as a peal of laughter broke loose from Nabiki. Then he grinned. "Well, well. It's been quite a while since someone's been able to detect my approach when I didn't want him to. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. What gave me away?"BR  
"Sorry, Doc, that's a secret. How's the patient."BR  
"Oh, her arm will be fine. Now I'd like to examine you, if you wouldn't mind."BR  
Ranma arched an eyebrow. "Doc, none of those goons laid a hand on me. I'm fine."BR  
"Ranma, I've been a doctor long enough to know pain when I see it. Your right arm is hurt," Tofu said as he reached for Ranma's arm.BR  
"My arm's fine," Ranma replied, backing away from the doctor.BR  
"No, it isn't. It's giving you quite a bit of pain."BR  
"That's normal for me. Leave it alone."BR  
Dr. Tofu gazed for a moment at the boy, then nodded. "I see. I trust that you do have a doctor checking on it?"BR  
"Not that it's any of your business, but, yeah, I do."BR  
Dr. Tofu smiled gently and replied, "Actually, Ranma, it is my business, but you're right. I shouldn't have pried."BR  
Nabiki looked back and forth between them. "Would someone care to fill me in?"BR  
Ranma shot a stern look at Tofu. The doctor smiled reassuringly, then turned to Nabiki. "I'm afraid you'll have to ask Ranma. Doctor/patient confidentiality and all that."BR  
"But you're not his doctor," pointed out Nabiki, even though she knew it wouldn't change his mind. "Well, this has been fun, but I'd better get home before daddy starts to worry. Ta." With that Nabiki grabbed her book bag and headed toward the door.BR  
"Er, maybe I'd better walk you home," said Ranma.BR  
"I don't think those guys will bother me again tonight."BR  
"Hey, I told you about my character flaw. I'm not strong enough to fight it."BR  
Nabiki rolled her eyes, but couldn't resist the urge to smile. It was nice to have someone pay this kind of attention to her. "Fine, I'll let you walk me home."BR  
Ranma arched his left eyebrow. "I'm honored thou shouldst grant me such a privilege, my lady. Mayhap thou wouldst give me the honor of carrying thine belongings whilst thy arm healeth?"BR  
Nabiki burst into laughter again. She couldn't remember anyone else who could make her laugh like this. "Alright, I get the point. And, yes, you can carry my bag."BR  
Ranma picked her bag and opened the door. Nabiki walked through, and the two were soon on their way.BR  
BR  
BR  
***Tendo dojo***BR  
BR  
BR  
Nabiki paused before the door to her home. It was already getting dark. She could see Kasumi bustling about the house through one of the windows. She turned to Ranma and asked, "Won't you come in?"BR  
Ranma hesistated, then said, "I think I should be heading home. My folks might be getting worried about me. They might think I got lost, this being my first day at a new school and all."BR  
"You could call them from our phone."BR  
"I wouldn't want to be a bother. Good night, Miss Tendo."BR  
"Good night and call me Nabiki."BR  
"As you wish, Nabiki."BR  
Nabiki picked up her bag from where Ranma had set it down, then watched him for a few moments. A part of her felt disappointed to see him go, but another part berated herself for feeling that way. She was Nabiki Tendo, she didn't need anyone. Besides, once the rumor mill at Furinkan filled him in on all of her "extra-curricular activities," he'd probably never want anything to do with her again. A part of her felt sick at the thought, but the feeling was quickly repressed. She had to remain strong. Her family depended on her, and she couldn't continue to run her business if she showed any sign of weakness. With a sigh she turned and walked into her home.BR  
BR  
BR  
******BR  
BR  
BR  
A few blocks away, Ranma stopped and stood still a moment. He sighed and said, "Well, are you going to show yourself?"BR  
For a moment the only answer he had was the wind as it blew through the empty street. Then a figure leapt from a nearby roof onto the sidewalk in front of him. It stepped into the the cone of light from a streetlight and was revealed to be a rather petite figure wrapped in a dark cloak.BR  
"Aren't you a little short to be the Grim Reaper?"BR  
"Huh? Oh, the uniform. My name's Ranko Sato. I'm here to rescue you."BR  
"Rescue me?! From what?"BR  
The cloaked figure pulled back her hood, revealing herself to be a beautiful redhead. "From Genma Saotome."BR  
Ranma's eyes flashed as he drew in a breath. It took a moment for him to get himself under control enough to speak. "What?" he grated, voice barely above a whisper.BR  
"I've come from the future. You see, in a few years Saotome is finally going to get caught by the police. A few years after that he's going to be approached by a powerful corporation that's been dabbling in cryogenics. They pull a few strings and get him out early, he becomes their guinea pig. They managed to successfully freeze him, but thawing him out again turned out to be the problem. Naturally, they covered it up. They buried the capsule containing their failed experiment along with all their research. It wasn't discovered for another thousand years. A construction crew was digging a foundation for a new building when they found him. Unfortunately, he was brought to a hospital and, using the advanced medical techniques of we have now, was thawed out before we found out who he was. If we had, we might have just let him stay frozen."BR  
"Hold on. You expect me to believe this story? Just how dumb do you think I am?"BR  
Ranko blinked. "I realize this must all sound very strange, but that's no reason to be rude. Besides, if I'm not from the future, how do you explain this?"BR  
With that she reached one hand beneath her cloak and pulled out what appeared to be a sleek black and red ray gun. She aimed it at a sheet of newspaper lying on the ground a few feet away from Ranma and pulled the trigger. A blue beam shot from the gun and enveloped the piece of litter. As Ranko raised her gun the sheet of paper was lifted off the ground and hovered a foot from Ranma's face. Ranma took a few steps away from the floating piece of trash and Ranko. "How...?"BR  
"It's called a Starlite. Only those of your bloodline, like me, can use one. It can make almost anything you want happen, if your will is strong enough. I used it to travel back in time to protect you. Unfortunately, Saotome has one, too. That's how he traveled into the past."BR  
Ranma silently watched as the blue beam from the gun disappeared and the sheet of newspaper blew away in the wind. "Maybe we'd better find someplace we can talk."BR  
BR  
BR  
******BR  
BR  
BR  
"So after you thawed him out, you used some kind of machine to implant all kinds of information into his head?"BR  
Ranko nodded. "We thought it was necessary so that he could adjust to all the differences in the future. You see, the future is very different from the world you live in. There is no more poverty or hunger, no crime or wars. Technology is much more advanced than it is here. It's ultimately all thanks to you and the Starlite Formula you're going to create."BR  
"Starlite Formula?"BR  
"It's the basis for how my Starlite works. But only those of your bloodline can use it. Saotome wouldn't have been able to if he hadn't broken into a genetics research facility and used their DNA resequencer to give himself the Starlite gene."BR  
Ranma broke into a dry laugh. "That fat fool can't even spell DNA. You expect me to believe to he could resequence his genetic structure?"BR  
"Like I said, we used a teaching machine to implant all kinds of knowledge directly into his mind. Unfortunately, we had almost finished the process when the archaeological team who was investigating the site where Saotome's capsule was found discovered the files from the failed experiment. Once they found out who he was, they rushed to tell my mentor, Dr. Olanga, the man in charge of helping Saotome cope with the transition to the year 3010. We tried to restrain him, but he proved to be even more formidable than we had ever dreamed. I personally saw him disappear right before my eyes. He was yelling something about 'Yamisen' or something like that. I caught up with him at the genetics lab, but he escaped again. I would have had him, but he knocked some very large pieces of equipment over on top of some of the scientists. They would have been crushed if I hadn't stopped to help. They told me that, besides giving himself the Starlite gene, he had genetically enhanced his body to make himself stronger, faster, and tougher than ever before. I followed his trail back to the Lazer Tag Academy where he stole a Starlite and some Star Sensors."BR  
"Hold on, what's the Lazer Tag Academy?"BR  
"That's where I live and train to use a Starlite. I'm one of the very few people who can."BR  
"How nice for you. Keep going."BR  
"When I got there I found out he had got himself of gang of Skuggs to help him out."BR  
"Hold it, what's a Skugg?"BR  
"They were the products of a failed genetic experiment. See, someone wanted to create a genetically enhanced pet that could also act as a bodyguard. He failed. Physically, he got what he was after, basically midget pandas, but mentally the things just weren't what he wanted. He wanted creatures that could play with children one minute, and protect them from whatever may threaten them the next. What he got were a bunch of lazy gluttons who with the combined IQ of a patch of moss."BR  
"Hmph. No wonder they decided to make Genma their leader."BR  
"Anyway, once he broke into the Academy, he accessed our computers to learn how to use his Starlite to travel through time. After that, he went back to this point in history to find you."BR  
"And what would he want with me?"BR  
"Well, scholars over the centuries have written volumes about your life, and most of them at least touch on Saotome. The prevailing view is that he has some sort of weird possessive fixation on you. He honestly believes you and whatever belongs to you are rightfully his. Since you create the Starlite Formula, he thinks all Starlite technology belongs to him, and, by extension, so is the future Starlites were instrumental in creating. That's why I have to stop him. If he meddles with history, it could be a disaster."BR  
"Well, that's a very nice fairy tale, I especially liked the part where I'm directly responsible for creating some kind of utopian future, but I think I'd better be going now. It's been nice chatting with you. Bye."BR  
With that, Ranma got up and walked out of the cafe. Ranko blinked a few times, then sighed. She got up and walked into the ladies' room. After checking to make sure it was empty, she pulled out her Starlite and shot it at the mirror. The blue beam ricocheted off the mirror and hit her in the strange chestplate she was wearing beneath her cloak. She was surrounded in a blue aura for a second, then vanished.BR  
BR  
BR  
***Sato residence***BR  
BR  
BR  
BR  
Ranma walked into his room and collapsed into the chair in front of his workshop. His mind was a buzzing with questions, and he didn't know how to find the answers. He was positive the bullies were going to try to exact some form of retribution on him, and he wasn't sure how, or even if, he could handle that. Then there was Nabiki. He had heard plenty of stories about her in his one day at Furinkan wasn't sure what to make of them. He knew how mean-spirited gossips could get, and that what they said shouldn't be taken at face value. Heck, the stories he'd heard about Nabiki were pretty tame compared to the ones told about him in the past. Besides, none of the stories mentioned what a great smile she had or how beautful her laugh was....BR  
Ranma shook his head. He had to stay focused. The next problem was Dr. Tofu. Did he believe Tofu when he said he'd keep his mouth shut about his...condition? There was the issue of doctor/patient confidentiality, but Nabiki was right. Tofu wasn't his doctor. Ranma shook his head again. He was being paranoid. How much could he have figured out about his arm just by looking at it? The doctor couldn't possibly know enough to cause him any real trouble, although Ranma would hate to think what would happen to him if those bullies found out.BR  
That left the last, and quite probably the biggest issue: Ranko. Who was she, how did she know about Genma Saotome, and....BR  
Suddenly, the door to his room flew open and a bundle of red hair plopped itself down onto his lap. For the first time since he had left home that morning, Ranma's face broke into a grin.BR  
"Hello, Chi. What brings you to my lab today?BR  
His little sister beamed up at him and held up a marble. "I wanna make THIS float today!"BR  
Ranma adopted a mock-serious expressions and said, "Are you sure you can make something that heavy float?" Chi nodded her head emphatically. "Alright. Put the marble down on the table and put your hand on the resonator." The girl carefully set the marble down in front of a strange-looking apparatus that was sitting on his workbench and placed her hand on the metal plate on the other end of the contraption. BR  
"Ready?"BR  
"Yep!"BR  
"Okay, here we go." Ranma flipped a switch on the device. A blue orb of light gathered in a circle of clear crystals. Chi carefully concentrated as she had been taught, and the blue orb elongated itself until it encompassed the marble. Her frown of concentration deepened as she focused her mind on the marble. Ever so slowly, the marble lifted off the wooden surface and began to hover in mid-air. It wobbled and spun for a bit until Chi managed to bring it under control. Ranma began to silently count off the seconds as she held the marble still with her mind. One, two, three, four, five....BR  
Clonk.BR  
"Five seconds, Chi! That was great!" BR  
Chi turned and beamed up at her brother. "Yeah! I never even done something as heavy as a marble before! Oh, and remember what you promised."BR  
Ranma blinked. "Which promise was that?"BR  
"You said I get to name the blue light thingy. You promised, remember?"BR  
Ranma chuckled. "Yes, I remember."BR  
"Good! I'm gonna call it Starlite."BR  
Ranma's smile disappeared in a flash. "What?"BR  
"I'm gonna call it Starlite, cause the light's so pretty, just like stars."BR  
Ranma licked his suddenly dry lips. "Chi, did you come up with that name by yourself?"BR  
"Uh-huh. Why, don't you like it?"BR  
"No, no, it's a great name. It's just...have you by any chance seen a girl around about my age with red hair and blue eyes?"BR  
"You mean like mine?"BR  
"Y-yeah. Almost exactly like yours," he whispered.BR  
"No. Why?"BR  
"Oh, no reason. Um, why don't you go off to bed now. It's getting late."BR  
"Aw, do I have to?"BR  
"Yes, it's almost your bedtime."BR  
"Well, okay. Just remember, I named it Starlite!"BR  
"I doubt I'll be forgetting that anytime soon," Ranma said quietly. Chi gave her brother a tight squeeze, automatically not touching his right arm as she did so, slid off his lap, and wandered out of his room in the general direction of her own. BR  
  
Well, here was a new puzzle. Ranm knew Chi was telling the truth when she said she came up with that name by herself. He also knew that the technology he had seen Ranko use was the same as the technology he had been developing for the past few years. So how could Ranko have possibly known what his litte sister was going to name it? His mind drifted back to where it all began, when Genma Saotome had been dragging him all over Japan in his quest to turn Ranma into the best martial artist in the world. He had taken Ranma to see a street fight. Ranma would never forget it. Two fighters had squared off against each other and were trading ki blasts! Ranma had never seen anything like it. Sure, he had heard of ki, but to see it right there in front of him was absolutely breathtaking. He had promised himself then and there that one day he would master ki. Of course, that had been before his little "training accident." Ranma absent-mindedly massaged his right arm. The throbbing pain never really went away. BR  
Ranma opened a drawer in his workbench and pulled an almost-complete assembly. Just a few more solders and a few tightened screws, and it would be done. He worked quickly and efficiently, knowing that he might need it for tomorrow. One last screw and...there! It was done.BR  
Ranma took a moment to examine his creation. On the outside it looked like a toy laser gun. As a matter of fact, that was exactly what it had been not too long ago. Then Ranma had gutted it and replaced its innards with his own technology, his Starlite technology. He aimed the gun at the marble Chi had left behind in his roon and pulled the trigger. A blue beam encircled the marble, and he effortlessly lifted it into the air. This model was much more advanced and efficient than the prototype he let Chi play with. It could tap into his ki and manifest it in nearly any way he wanted. Telekinesis, concussive blasts, possibly even self-levitation was possible. If the legends about people using their ki to control the elements were true, then he might be able to use it to generate ice or wind or control fire. Only time would tell. He calmly put the gun, the world's first Starlite, into his book bag. After all, he couldn't be charged with carrying a concealed weapon if said weapon used technology that couldn't possibly exist. And if those bullies tried to mess with him, they'd be in for a rude surprise....BR  
BR  
BR  
***3010***BR  
BR  
BR  
"He didn't believe me, Dr. Olanga."BR  
"I know, child. Please remember, though, Dr. Sato has gone through a lot. His father shattered his arm when he was eight, rendering him incapable of practicing martial arts. Social services removed him from his mother's care after they found out about the seppuku pledge. It is quite fortunate he was adopted by a loving family like the Satos. Who knows how the bitterness might have festered inside of him if not for them?"BR  
"I know you're right, Dr. Olanga, except that he isn't a doctor yet. I just thought, I don't know, he'd somehow know I'm a descendant of his, that we're family."BR  
Dr. Olanga chuckled. "Little one, please be patient. After all, he hasn't realized yet that the Satos are actually his long-lost biological parents. If he hasn't even realized that, how could you expect him to accept that you're a descendant of his from a thousand years in the future?"BR  
"I know, I know. Heh, I just hope I'm there when he figures it out. The expression on his face out to be priceless."BR  
"I imagine it would be matched by his parents. After all, it is should come as quite a shock that the boy they adopted just happened to be the one that was stolen from them when he was just a baby."BR  
"Well, I'd better be getting back. I just needed to pick up an extra Star Sensor and Starlite for Ranma in case Saotome finds him when I'm not around to protect him."BR  
"Good-bye, Ranko, and good luck."BR  
Ranko simply watched Dr. Olanga for a moment, a mischievous grin on her face. It took him a moment to realize what she wanted. "Oh, very well. And may the Force be with you."BR  
"Thanks, Dr. Olanga!"BR  
The old scientist shook his head as he saw his star pupil disappear in a flash of blue light. He could have shown her some drama for her Cinematics Classics course, but, no, he had to show Star Wars. She'd been hooked ever since.BR  
BR  
BR  
BR  
Whew! Glad I got the first chapter done. I may write more. I've got a few ideas of how to develop this. BR  
Was Ranma OOC? I don't know about that. I figure something pretty severe must happen to Ranma to make him fit into this fusion. I figured, Why would a muscle-bound moron like Ranma want to start using a laser gun? Maybe because it has no recoil? Why would that be important? Maybe because something happened to him that would make his arm so fragile it couldn't be used to punch, block, or absorb the recoil of a gun without breaking? The rest of the fic pretty much fell into place. I made Ranko a Star Wars junkie to lighten things up a bit. Well, enjoy!BR  
P.S. AnimeAddiction rules! 


End file.
